Photos, videos and docs of Anne Elliott, with the keywords: "orange"

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 05:07:23 +0000

This weekend is when Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving - Monday is the actual Thanksgiving Day - so I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, no matter what part of the world you are living in or serving in. We have SO much to be thankful for every day, in this country! A special thank you to those service people and their families, who make so many sacrifices for the rest of us. Have a happy, safe time, everyone! With a bit of luck, the forecast snow for Monday won't appear.

On 7 October 2019, it was overcast and not good for photos, which didn't really matter, as I barely used my camera at the Saskatoon Farm. Basically, apart from sunflowers hanging their heads, everything had already died and much had been removed. There was no colour left, and the wonderful days of visits to the farm to happily snap endless photos full of colour are now over till next spring and summer. Can't wait!

After enjoying lunch there, and buying two kinds of frozen, home-made soup, I drove along one nearby road just to see if there was anything of interest. I came across an old wooden shed (outhouse?). A touch of filter in post-processing brought out the wood details.

Amanita muscaria, with insects (mosquitoes?)

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 17:04:23 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

SNOW, SNOW, GO AWAY. DON'T COME BACK ANOTHER DAY! Sigh, it snowed overnight and all this morning and the snowflakes keep falling. There are about 6" of the white stuff along the top of my fence.

I did a Google search to see if Mosquitoes like Amanita muscaria mushrooms and found various websites about research that is being done, to see if this fungus species could be used as a mosquito attractant and control.

This morning, I have added 8 more photos from 8 September 2019, taken at Rod Handfield's acreage.

On that day, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming yesterday! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry.

A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking, but also because of all the excitement. That night, I slept well. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.

As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient for many. As usual, any IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat!

A summer memory

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 18:26:37 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Goodbye fall, hello winter!!! Just five days into fall, and snow arrives in the city today, 28 September 2019. So far, there is maybe an inch of snow on the top of my fence and enough to cover my car, but thankfully, it has only been a light snowfall. Snowflakes still falling as I type. A few flurries are forecast for this afternoon and light snow tonight. Our temperature is -3C (windchill -8C). The forecast in Alberta for today and the next two days is "Winter storm could bring 60+ cm of snow, blizzard-like conditions possible." Thanks, Weather Network. I think Calgary will be spared the worst of the storm. The ground is still warm, so hopefully the snow will melt quickly. Here, the last snowfall typically happens in April or May, so we have very roughly seven months of snow/winter to face. Apparently, there has been snow in eight of the last 20 Septembers in Calgary, and snow in 19 of the last 20 Octobers.

Needless to say, I needed COLOUR today, so I grabbed a few photos taken in a city garden on 3 September 2019. This is what I wrote when I posted several photos from that day:

"Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds."

Orange False Dandelion

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 16:58:46 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Flickr, hurry up and fix Stats - this is the fourth day in a row that the views in the Stats have plummeted, but not the views seen under each photo.

When I got out of my car to take a scenic shot on the way home, I checked out a white "spot" in the grass way down the road. Had to check it out and I discovered the beautiful Shaggy Mane mushrooms. Just a few feet away was one small splash of orange - an Orange False Dandelion. I was delighted to find this, as I have only ever seen one maybe four or five times.

Well, the weather forecast for Kananaskis for the day before yesterday, 24 September 2019, was not exactly accurate - sun, with cloud in the afternoon. They kind of forgot to mention the strong wind, light rain .... and SNOW! For a few minutes, it was one kind of weather, then a few more minutes of a different kind, repeated throughout the afternoon.

Our temperatures are falling - forecast for rain tomorrow, then three days of snow with temps down to 0C and -1C. What a way to celebrate the first few days of fall. The expected snow will probably remove quite a few of the golden leaves, so I wanted anther chance to see and photograph them while I had the chance.

The sky was blue when I set out that morning and I felt quite hopeful. When I go to Kananaskis, I always go south from the city. I had no idea where I would be going, but I knew that it wouldn't be as far as I would have liked. As it turned out, I had a few surprises along the way, so it was a real mixed day of photo opportunities - my favourite kind of day.

After stopping to take a few scenic shots on the way to the main highway through Kananaskis, I eventually reached the area where the American Pikas live. I really lucked out almost straight away, as the only few photos I took were when one Pika showed itself, and that was within maybe ten minutes. By this time, the wind was strong and it was snowing, and it was cold! Time to get out of there, as the scree slope is treacherous enough on a calm, clear day.

Driving further north, I was delighted to see a convoy of maybe eight or ten beautiful old cars heading in my direction. Couldn't resist, so I followed them when they turned off into a small picnic area. I asked if I could take a few quick photos and they were happy enough for me to do that. One car owner did comment about blurry photos because of the falling snow, but surprisingly my photos came out sharp enough.

Further on, I made a quick stop at another pull-off and was happy to notice a few mushrooms. When I turned around to head for home, I was even happier. I pulled over to take a photo of one of the mountain peaks. One tiny white speck in the distance, just off the road, caught my eye. When I went to check it out, I found myself staring at a little group of Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. The largest one had already started the process of curling up the rim of its cap and dripping a black ink. So much rain this year has resulted in such an amazing fungi season.

Much closer to home, I decided to take a side road that has such beautiful hill and mountain views. An old wooden barn was a welcome surprise - I don't remember seeing this one before.

So, a lovely day out, driving 320 km, with such a mixture of weather and sightings. So glad I did decide to go - as usual, a very last minute decision, but basically, I just need to grab my cameras and go : )

Colourful fungus - details seen when cut

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:11:43 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A small group of us were invited to explore the 18-acre property, SW of the city, belonging to Rick and Connie Hillary. This we did, three days ago, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind. At the very start of our nature walk, Rick was happy to show us the beautiful mushrooms that were growing near his house. What an absolute treat! Even Karel, our fungi leader, had never seen this species before - Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw them - so perfect, hiding in the grass.

Rick told us there were other species to enjoy, further along the walk. One small area, especially, had a good variety growing amongst the trees. Our cameras barely stopping shooting - so much fun.

Two of the three dogs in this family accompanied us for the whole walk. Mother and daughter, who were such loving animals. What a dog paradise they live in, giving them the freedom to run and play-fight, seemingly with boundless energy. Only after several hours, when our walk ended, did their energy seem to run out temporarily, giving me a chance to take photos of them.

Thank you so much, Rick and Connie, for your very kind invitation. I hope you could tell how much we enjoyed ourselves! The extra and unexpected kindness of providing us with cheese and crackers and delicious cake afterwards was so much appreciated.

Karel, thank you, as always, for your knowledge of the fungi world and for helping us find and learn. I know you will enjoy your mushroom suppers from the Boletes you came across : )

Fungus with orange flesh

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 17:00:32 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

So, is everyone sick and tired of seeing photos of mushrooms and other fungi? If so, I have bad news for you - I still have SO many to eventually edit and post. Photos of other things that I have been seeing seem to have been temporarily put on hold : )

As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse.

Another overcast morning today, 16 September 2019, with a temperature of only 13C. It definitely feels and looks like fall, with more and more trees turning yellow. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on. First, however, I wanted to add a few more photos tonight, taken at Rod Handfield's acreage, visited on 8 September.

Eight days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I believe this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry.

A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest.

As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient for many of them.

Backlit Sunflower

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:30:26 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds.

Gaillardia

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:27:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Slime mold, Pringle Mt forest walk

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 17:33:47 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Because I posted several photos from this important trip several days ago, I was thinking that I would be able to go back and copy/paste the description that I wrote for those first few images. When I checked, I remembered that I had been too busy to write anything at the time, so I have to start from scratch for today's posts. It's nearly lunch time and I haven't had breakfast yet, so I think I need to eat first, type second. Will be back ....

NOTE: all these photos were taken deep in a wonderful, old forest without sunshine. I had been hoping that it would be bright and sunny, as I know from experience, trying to photograph fungi on an overcast day tends to result in less than sharp images. We were lucky, though, that we only had bits of rain. Also, I need to wait for the IDs for all the fungi - our friend, Karel, is the one with a lot of knowledge on this subject.

Splash of colour

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 17:27:09 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This morning, 14 August 2019, I added 9 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.

Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to rainy days (the last few days, with more to come). This afternoon, though the day started sunny, we now have thunder and rain - actually under a weather alert, Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

Six days ago, 8 August 2019, was definitely more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if any of the ones I had seen before were now missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention six days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again and check on. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around this time, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy. Total distance covered was 275 km.

Strawflower / Xerochrysum bracteatum

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 04:56:20 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Tonight, I have just added 7 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.

Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to cool, rainy days (the last two days and today, with more to come). This morning, 12 August 2019, the temperature is only 12C again.

Four days ago, 8 August 2019, was definitely more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if any of the ones I had seen before were now missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention two days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy. Total distance covered was 275 km.

Lily at a prairie church

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 18:31:50 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 8 August 2019, was more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if I could tell which ones were missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and I had a problem with heat distortion yesterday. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention yesterday had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip yesterday. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, nearby. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy.

Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 19:43:38 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

From yesterday, 31 May 2019: Oh, my goodness, the smoke from the wildfire in northern Alberta reached us yesterday evening. I was out at a meeting and all was as usual on my drive there. When I came out later, the air reeked of smoke and visibility was poor. The Weather Network had warned that this summer would be a smoky one - again. Last summer was dreadful and not good health-wise to go out in, so I stayed home on so many days. When I woke up this morning, my whole house smelled strongly of smoke. It always makes me think of the poor people close to any forest fire - how on earth do they breath?!

"The Air Quality Health Index in Calgary has reached 10+, or high risk, with most of the province under a special air quality alert due to smoke blowing in from wildfires in northern Alberta.

Dr. Raj Bhardwaj, a Calgary physician, says the particulate in the air on Friday has the same health effects as smoking 10-15 cigarettes a day." From CBC News.

Flickr staff seem to have solved several issues, especially in connection with views statistics. The number of views has never been accurate, we all know that, but very recently, the number of views has been out of control. Now things seem to be back to a more realistic number, thank goodness, I haven't yet tested out the issue of comments and faves, to see if all comments and all faves are acknowledged, but it looks OK so far. That would be great to know that when someone comments on an image, their comment/fave can be seen, especially after going to the trouble of writing a comment.

Posting a few more photos today taken during our May Species Count on 26 May 2019. All the photos posted this afternoon were taken at our first stop on the Count, which was at the Castell Ranch, SW of Calgary. This is such a rewarding and enjoyable place to be, with so many species flocking to the feeders, grounds and pond. Unfortunately, most of my shots were taken through a glass window that had netting on the outside, to prevent birds from flying into the window. We had to look from this room, in order for the birds to come down - standing outside tends to keep the birds away. On the Count last year, the same thing happened and almost all my photos were blurry. This year, I think I can manage to rescue a few of the less blurry images, sharpening them as much as I dare.

After this early morning treat, we drove a few of the back roads in the area, calling in at several acreages. Brown-Lowery Provincial Park was also one of our stops - has an outhouse (yay!) and a picnic table where we sat for our lunch. The park is not part of our Count area, but each year, we stop there for the outhouse and table and also to take a short walk into the forest to check and see if there are any Calypso Orchids in bloom. We managed to find one tiny flower in full bloom, so we were content.

Afterwards, we made one last drive to see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. One or two people have been seeing them already this spring. A couple of cyclists came by and one of them asked if we were looking for a Bobolink - he told us he had seen one just a few hours earlier in a particular place. Sure enough, with a bit of patience, we suddenly realized that there was one behind us on the far side of the road. Will post a dreadful photo of it soon, just for the record.

Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 31 May 2019 21:47:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

What a sweet little bird this was! I know some people refuse to post or even take feeder photos, but I am just happy to get any photo I can.

Oh, my goodness, the smoke from the wildfire in northern Alberta reached us yesterday evening. I was out at a meeting and all was as usual on my drive there. When I came out later, the air reeked of smoke and visibility was poor. The Weather Network had warned that this summer would be a smoky one - again. Last summer was dreadful and not good health-wise to go out in, so I stayed home on so many days. When I woke up this morning, my whole house smelled strongly of smoke. It always makes me think of the poor people close to any forest fire - how on earth do they breath?!

"The Air Quality Health Index in Calgary has reached 10+, or high risk, with most of the province under a special air quality alert due to smoke blowing in from wildfires in northern Alberta.

Dr. Raj Bhardwaj, a Calgary physician, says the particulate in the air on Friday has the same health effects as smoking 10-15 cigarettes a day." From CBC News.

What a performance to get images posted just now! The main problem was that Shaw Internet was not available. There have been problems with certain TV channels for the last week, too.

Flickr staff seem to have solved several issues, especially in connection with views statistics. The number of views has never been accurate, we all know that, but very recently, the number of views has been out of control. Now things seem to be back to a more realistic number, thank goodness, I haven't yet tested out the issue of comments and faves, to see if all comments and all faves are acknowledged. That would be great to know that when someone comments on an image, their comment/fave can be seen, especially after going to the trouble of writing a comment.

Finally managed to start posting a few photos today taken during our May Species Count on 26 May 2019. All the photos posted this afternoon were taken at our first stop on the Count, which was at the Castell Ranch, SW of Calgary. This is such a rewarding and enjoyable place to be, with so many species flocking to the feeders, grounds and pond. Unfortunately, most of my shots were taken through a glass window that had netting on the outside, to prevent birds from flying into the window. We had to look from this room, in order for the birds to come down - standing outside tends to keep the birds away. On the Count last year, the same thing happened and almost all my photos were blurry. This year, I think I can manage to rescue a few of the less blurry images, sharpening them as much as I dare.

After this early morning treat, we drove a few of the back roads in the area, calling in at several acreages. Brown-Lowery Provincial Park was also one of our stops - has an outhouse (yay!) and a picnic table where we sat for our lunch. The park is not part of our Count area, but each year, we stop there for the outhouse and table and also to take a short walk into the forest to check and see if there are any Calypso Orchids in bloom. We managed to find one tiny flower in full bloom, so we were content.

Afterwards, we made one last drive to see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. One or two people have been seeing them already this spring. A couple of cyclists came by and one of them asked if we were looking for a Bobolink - he told us he had seen one just a few hours earlier in a particular place. Sure enough, with a bit of patience, we suddenly realized that there was one behind us on the far side of the road. Will post a dreadful photo of it soon, just for the record.

Day 7, Brown Anole with extended dewlap, Estero Llano Grande SP

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 20 May 2019 08:32:04 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Finished Day 7! Not sure, but I might just post a few recent local photos next, before I start on Day 8.

Just a few more days and Smugmug has the mammoth task of transferring every single thing on Flickr to a new server. Hard to imagine, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that the transfer all goes smoothly. There will probably be a few glitches to iron out afterwards, but these will eventually be fixed. Hoping to get Day 7 of our trip finished before the transfer and maybe even make a start on Day 8. Please bear with me.

Posted just a few more odds and ends, taken on Day 7 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas. A few interesting things, but not the greatest photos of most of them. So happy to see them all and just happy to get any kind of shots.

We had an early start as usual on Day 7 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, 19-31 March 2019. Leaving our hotel, La Quinta Inn & Suites in Mission, we drove to the Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park / World Birding Centre.

"As part of the World Birding Center, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is a world-class destination for bird-watching. The Rio Grande Valley hosts one of the most spectacular convergences of birds on earth with more than 525 species documented in this unique place. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park alone has an impressive list of 358 species recorded within the park’s boundaries. Birders have a chance to see migratory birds during their yearly migrations over the valley including flocks of thousands of hawks from the park’s Hawk Tower in the spring and fall.... Over seven miles of trails offer a variety of opportunities to encounter wildlife inside the park."

tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bentsen-rio-grande-valley

In the afternoon, we drove roughly 32 miles east to the Estero Llano Grande State Park, arriving there at about 1:00 pm, and spent two and a half hours looking for birds. Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco, is one of nine sites that make up the World Birding Centre in South Texas. It is a 230+ acre refuge. Not many chances to see and photograph birds, but we enjoyed seeing huge cacti in bloom and a few beautiful flowering trees. A couple of Lizards and a Skink added interesting variety to our sightings - even a cluster of mushrooms.

Day 6, Golden-fronted Woodpecker male / Melanerpes aurifrons

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 09 May 2019 04:59:51 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Sorry for posting SO many photos today! I think it's the only way I will ever get through all the images from this Texas trip.

On Day 6 of our birding holiday in South Texas, 24 March 2019, we left our hotel in Kingsville, South Texas, and started our drive to Mission, where we would be staying at La Quinta Inn & Suites for three nights. On the first stretch of our drive, we were lucky enough to see several bird species, including a Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Hooded Oriole, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Harris's Hawk, Pyrrhuloxia male (looks similar to a Cardinal) and a spectacular Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I'm not sure if this stretch is called Hawk Alley.

We had a long drive further south towards Mission, with only a couple of drive-by photos taken en route (of a strangely shaped building that turned out to be a deserted seed storage building). Eventually, we reached our next planned stop, the National Butterfly Centre. This was a great place, my favourite part of it being the bird feeding station, where we saw all sorts of species and reasonably close. Despite the name of the place, we only saw a few butterflies while we were there. May have been the weather or, more likely, the fact that I was having so much fun at the bird feeding station. We also got to see Spike, a giant African Spurred Tortoise. All the nature/wildlife parks that we visited in South Texas had beautiful visitor centres and usually bird feeding stations. And there are so many of these parks - so impressive!

nationalbutterflycenter.org/nbc-multi-media/in-the-news/1...

"Ten years ago, the North American Butterfly Association broke ground for what has now become the largest native plant botanical garden in the United States. This 100-acre preserve is home to Spike (who thinks he is a butterfly) and the greatest volume and variety of wild, free-flying butterflies in the nation. In fact, USA Today calls the National Butterfly Center, in Mission, Texas, 'the butterfly capitol of the USA'." From the Butterfly Centre's website.

The Centre is facing huge challenges, as a result of the "Border Wall". The following information is from the Centre's website.

www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/about-nbc/maps-directions...

"No permission was requested to enter the property or begin cutting down trees. The center was not notified of any roadwork, nor given the opportunity to review, negotiate or deny the workplan. Same goes for the core sampling of soils on the property, and the surveying and staking of a “clear zone” that will bulldoze 200,000 square feet of habitat for protected species like the Texas Tortoise and Texas Indigo, not to mention about 400 species of birds. The federal government had decided it will do as it pleases with our property, swiftly and secretly, in spite of our property rights and right to due process under the law."

"What the Border Wall will do here:
1) Eradicate an enormous amount of native habitat, including host plants for butterflies, breeding and feeding areas for wildlife, and lands set aside for conservation of endangered and threatened species-- including avian species that migrate N/S through this area or over-winter, here, in the tip of the Central US Flyway.

2) Create devastating flooding to all property up to 2 miles behind the wall, on the banks of the mighty Rio Grande River, here.

3) Reduce viable range land for wildlife foraging and mating. This will result in greater competition for resources and a smaller gene pool for healthy species reproduction. Genetic "bottlenecks" can exacerbate blight and disease.

IN ADDITION:

4) Not all birds can fly over the wall, nor will all butterfly species. For example, the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, found on the southern border from Texas to Arizona, only flies about 6 ft in the air. It cannot overcome a 30 ft vertical wall of concrete and steel.

5) Nocturnal and crepuscular wildlife, which rely on sunset and sunrise cues to regulate vital activity, will be negatively affected by night time flood lighting of the "control zone" the DHS CBP will establish along the wall and new secondary drag roads. The expansion of these areas to vehicular traffic will increase wildlife roadkill.

6) Animals trapped north of the wall will face similar competition for resources, cut off from native habitat in the conservation corridor and from water in the Rio Grande River and adjacent resacas. HUMANS, here, will also be cut off from our only source of fresh water, in this irrigated desert.

Day 5, orange tree, King Ranch, Norias Division

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 20:39:44 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Despite the fact that most of the bird photos that I have posted this afternoon are cropped and poor quality and have been posted really just for the record, I think I have made a good start on Day 5.

This was a really special full day, from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, on 23 March 2019, Day 5 of our 13-day birding holiday in South Texas. Before we left Calgary, we had booked a tour at The King Ranch and we were greatly looking forward to it. The area we explored was way south on the ranchland, called the Norias Division. The driver of the van/mini-bus was Barb, who did a great job of finding 47 bird species for us, and also trying to find a tiny Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. We also bumped into Barb's boss a couple of times and he went off in search of an owl. Almost at the end of our great day, he managed to find a pair of them! A man, originally from Holland, but now living in Houston, had travelled all the way to the King Ranch, hoping most of all to see one of these beautiful owls. The rest of us had actually seen one of these owls on our Trinidad & Tobago trip in 2017. He joined us for the day and, needless to say, he was delighted that his sought-after species was successful. The owls were far away, so photos (to be posted later) are very distant, but what a gorgeous pair of little owls they were. Everyone was thrilled to bits. Many thanks to Tom (?) for searching and searching!

"In 1853, Captain Richard King purchased a creek-fed oasis in the Wild Horse Desert of South Texas, sparking generations of integrity, preservation, and innovation.

King Ranch now covers 825,000 acres—more land than the state of Rhode Island. Over the course of over 160 years, King Ranch led some of the first cattle drives, developed the Santa Gertrudis and Santa Cruz breeds of cattle, bred the finest Quarter Horses, and produced champion Thoroughbreds—all under its iconic Running W® brand.

Today’s King Ranch is a major agribusiness with interests in cattle ranching, farming (citrus, cotton, grain, sugar cane, and turfgrass), luxury retail goods, and recreational hunting."

king-ranch.com/

Some of the species we were already familiar with, but new birds included the amazing Scissor-tailed flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Bronzed Cowbird. I was really hoping that we might see a Green Jay, and I was in luck.

A variety of wildflowers, a mushroom (Ink-cap or similar), a beautiful moth, and several deer added to our enjoyment. We were also very lucky to see a Javelina/Collared Peccary travelling fast through the bushes. Another sighting that was as fleeting as could possibly be were half a dozen Nilgai Antelope.

"Texas is home to more free-range nilgai antelope than their native country of India. Originally stocked on the King Ranch in the 1930’s, these sporty game animals quickly took hold and are currently free- ranging on a handful of large private properties in lower South Texas." From link below.

www.wildlifesystems.com/nilgai-antelope.html

For me, I think the highlight of the day was when I happened to spot a tiny Texan Horned Lizard / Phrynosoma cornutum. A few years ago, I had been so disappointed to miss a trip to SE Alberta to see a Horned Lizard. At the King Ranch, we were standing still for some reason, when something caught my eye near my shoes. I thought a small piece of dead, faded plant had blown in. Then it moved again, still not far from my feet. Couldn't believe my eyes!! What an interesting creature - it actually can shoot blood from small protuberances by its eyes when it feels threatened! Will post photos later, when I get to them.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_horned_lizard

We had lunch outside and were visited by a beautiful, curious White-tailed Deer. Several others were also seen while we were driving around the ranchland.

A good day, for sure, and we appreciated the effort that Barb and her boss put into searching for various species.

Day 7, Brown Anole (?) extending dewlap, southern Texas

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:31:13 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday evening, 31 March 2019, four friends and I arrived back in Calgary after an amazing 13-day birding trip to southern Texas! This morning, I grabbed four photos to give an idea of what kinds of things we saw - four of my better photos, I should add : ) As usual, for me, it was not a trip to photograph just birds, but to capture anything else of interest, of beauty. This included flowers, insects, a few fungi, wild animals, and so on. As always, I missed quite a few of the birds that were seen by my friends. They are excellent birders and spend so much time birding and taking photos, and so are able to spot and capture the tiniest, fastest of birds. I am happy to have seen every bird that I did see! Everything from Whooping Cranes down to a small Yellow-throated Warbler. Unlike on our trip to Ontario and Quebec last year, we were thrilled to see Northern Cardinals close enough to photograph this holiday.

Right now, I can't remember names of places, and I have a huge amount of getting organized with where and when I saw most things. However, I just wanted to let you know I am home, feeling back to being motivated to take photos again, after totally losing interest the last few weeks before we left on this exciting trip.

I used both my old Canon SX60 and my less old Nikon P900 on this trip. The advantage of the P900 is that it has GPS and automatically loads on the map on Flickr. It may not always give an accurate location, but hopefully it will be close enough. Part way through the holiday, it looked like the Canon was taking somewhat better photos than the newer Nikon, so I was using the Canon as my main camera.

First things first, though - I need a mug of coffee and some breakfast before I download the rest of my images to my computer. Such a mixed bag - some reasonable shots and others just about as bad as they could possibly be, but will post them on Flickr for the record. Once again, I will post photos in very roughly the order in which they were taken, to help give me a much better idea of just where we went and what we saw and when.

Day 7 afternoon, Sand Dunes in distance

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 07:10:40 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

The Sand Dunes that I mentioned iin the title was one of the places we stopped at the following day, 14 May 2018. Actually, I don't have all that many photos taken from this whaling trip, so I will soon be on to Day 8.

These 8 photos were taken on a whaling trip in a Zodiac that friends and I went on in the afternoon of 13 May 2018, the 7th day of our two-week holiday in Ontario and Quebec. We did see Belugas and Minke Whales, but they were far, far away, so no decent shots. However, I loved seeing the Prince Shoal Lighthouse, seen in a few of today's photos. This lighthouse has an interesting history and it is also a Recognized Federal Historic Building.

We knew we had to dress very warmly, with a few layers of fleece, etc.. Over all this bulk, we then had to struggle to put on these bright orange waterproof jackets and pants with a bib. We then had to try and walk all the way along the pier to the Zodiac in this most unglamorous outfit, ha! Have to admit that I'm not sure how I would have felt if a whale had come up alongside us!

A short YouTube video by Sabrina Nemis, that gives an idea of a similar trip:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5854a-aKsG4

"The Haut-Fond Prince Light Tower is a modern pillar light of waisted caisson design. The caisson, anchored below the water’s surface, supports a low, round accommodation unit surrounded by a narrow gallery. The flat roof of the accommodation unit serves as a helicopter pad with a cylindrical tower set to one side. A simple gallery and flared lantern sit atop the tower. The light tower is painted in a red and white colour scheme. The caisson, iron pipe railings, and accents below the windows and at the top of the accommodation unit are all painted red. The tower itself features alternating red and white horizontal stripes. The light tower is situated in the lower St.Lawrence River, marking a shoal at the mouth of the Saguenay River.

The Haut-Fond Prince Light Tower is a significant hazard marker with a range of 18 nautical miles. It is a channel marker on the St. Lawrence River, a major navigable river serving as an international shipping route. As such, it serves as a very good illustration of the theme of aids to navigation. Designed to replace a previous, seasonal lightship, the light tower also illustrates the evolution of facilities to accommodate maritime shipping into the winter season. Construction of the light tower was started in 1961 in response to the year-round opening of the seaway the year before. During the Christmas storm of 1966, it was pounded by high waves, fierce winds and snow for two days. Despite sustaining major damage, it was able to withstand conditions far worse than those for which it was designed, protecting the keepers inside." From Parks Canada.

www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_fhbro_eng.aspx?id=11796

lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=1626

At the end of our 4-day stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec City airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things.

"Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world.

Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000.

But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below.

www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac

Several trips were made to see different places along the coast, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese, in flight and also up close. Breathtaking!

We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos - difficult when bobbing up and down on the rough water! It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.

Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677

Day 7 afternoon, whaling trip off Tadoussac

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 07:06:24 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

These 8 photos were taken on a whaling trip in a Zodiac that friends and I went on in the afternoon of 13 May 2018, the 7th day of our two-week holiday in Ontario and Quebec. We did see Belugas and Minke Whales, but they were far, far away, so no decent shots. However, I loved seeing the Prince Shoal Lighthouse, seen in a few of today's photos. This lighthouse has an interesting history and it is also a Recognized Federal Historic Building.

We knew we had to dress very warmly, with a few layers of fleece, etc.. Over all this bulk, we then had to struggle to put on these bright orange waterproof jackets and pants with a bib. We then had to try and walk all the way along the pier to the Zodiac in this most unglamorous outfit, ha! Have to admit that I'm not sure how I would have felt if a whale had come up alongside us!

A short YouTube video by Sabrina Nemis, that gives an idea of a similar trip:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5854a-aKsG4

"The Haut-Fond Prince Light Tower is a modern pillar light of waisted caisson design. The caisson, anchored below the water’s surface, supports a low, round accommodation unit surrounded by a narrow gallery. The flat roof of the accommodation unit serves as a helicopter pad with a cylindrical tower set to one side. A simple gallery and flared lantern sit atop the tower. The light tower is painted in a red and white colour scheme. The caisson, iron pipe railings, and accents below the windows and at the top of the accommodation unit are all painted red. The tower itself features alternating red and white horizontal stripes. The light tower is situated in the lower St.Lawrence River, marking a shoal at the mouth of the Saguenay River.

The Haut-Fond Prince Light Tower is a significant hazard marker with a range of 18 nautical miles. It is a channel marker on the St. Lawrence River, a major navigable river serving as an international shipping route. As such, it serves as a very good illustration of the theme of aids to navigation. Designed to replace a previous, seasonal lightship, the light tower also illustrates the evolution of facilities to accommodate maritime shipping into the winter season. Construction of the light tower was started in 1961 in response to the year-round opening of the seaway the year before. During the Christmas storm of 1966, it was pounded by high waves, fierce winds and snow for two days. Despite sustaining major damage, it was able to withstand conditions far worse than those for which it was designed, protecting the keepers inside." From Parks Canada.

www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_fhbro_eng.aspx?id=11796

lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=1626

At the end of our 4-day stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec City airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things.

"Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world.

Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000.

But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below.

www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac

Several trips were made to see different places along the coast, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese, in flight and also up close. Breathtaking!

We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos - difficult when bobbing up and down on the rough water! It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.

Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677