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

The sunflower droop

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 17:01:32 +0000

Well, hello again, winter!! Our temperature today is -4C (windchill -11C). Yesterday, it looked like late fall. Today, we are having another snow storm, giving us our second world of white already this fall. Because of the forecast for today, I knew I had better get down to the Saskatoon Farm yesterday. I had wanted to buy a few of their vegetables, but they hold their special event at a weekend and I had no intention of facing masses of cars and people. Instead, I did a long drive into Kananaskis two days ago, which turned out to be a really good decision.

Yesterday, 7 October 2019, was overcast and not good for photos, which didn't really matter, as I barely used my camera at the 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.

For me, the next few days will be days to hibernate, hoping that the ground (and my car) will become bare again. The forecast reckons Calgary will be getting about 10 cm of snow today. Looks like we should have sunshine on the coming days. This year has been an absolutely crazy year as far as the weather is concerned!

Mushroom crack pattern

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:24:01 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Has anyone else noticed an enormous drop in Stats Views in the past 10 days? I know a few people have commented on this in the Help Forum. After 22 September 2019, mine have dropped down to very roughly one quarter to a third the number. I know Stats are not usually really accurate, but a sudden drop that continues always makes me wonder if there is a Flickr glitch somewhere. I know a lot of people have been saying that their Contacts' new images are not showing up on the Contact page.

On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.

Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.

Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.

Going to have to finish description, etc. later .... I've been saying that ever since, too. Just not getting enough time at the moment .... sigh.

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 favourite view in Kananaskis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 17:25:07 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Well, the weather forecast for Kananaskis for 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/light snow today, then three days of snow with temps down to around -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 : )

Sunflower, against a pink barn

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 04:43:10 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This afternoon, 23 September 2019, I made a last-minute dash to the Saskatoon Farm, after seeing the very unpleasant weather forecast that is about to hit us. A couple of days of rain followed by a few days of SNOW. These colourful images should have waited till our world turns white, but just the thought of seeing snow was enough to make me long for colour - and lots of it! Also, I thought I had better post something other than fungi, though I have so many more photos of them that I need to edit and upload.

The sun was supposed to shine today, along with some cloud, but it turned out to be an overcast afternoon with poor light for photos. Better than snow, any day.

This interesting place is maybe a 20-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food.

www.saskatoonfarm.com/

As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera, catching two of the dogs, a chicken, as well as flowers. Many of the latter are on their last legs, but there is still some colour to be enjoyed. I never return home with an empty memory card when I visit this place.

Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 06:51:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Maybe another 10 or so images from this outing to edit and post and then it will be completed. Both Rick and another property owner, whom we will be visiting very soon, have told our Naturalist leader that they have "noted a rapid disintegration in their mushroom populations in the last few days." Perhaps they just don't like our cooler weather at the moment. We can't complain, though, as this fungi season has been wonderfully rewarding. Of course, without very kind landowners inviting us to explore their land, we would have missed so many interesting and beautiful things.

"Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes, the Shaggy Parasol, is smaller than the Parasol Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera, and its stem lacks the snakeskin-like patterning associated with the Parasol. As a result of molecular studies (DNA analysis), in 2003 the genus Macrolepiota was split up and the Shaggy Parasol was transferred to the genus Chlorophyllum, where it resides with other poisonous parasol-like mushrooms."

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorophyllum-rhacodes.php

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, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind and others. 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 : )

Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 18:10:12 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

"Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes, the Shaggy Parasol, is smaller than the Parasol Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera, and its stem lacks the snakeskin-like patterning associated with the Parasol. As a result of molecular studies (DNA analysis), in 2003 the genus Macrolepiota was split up and the Shaggy Parasol was transferred to the genus Chlorophyllum, where it resides with other poisonous parasol-like mushrooms."

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorophyllum-rhacodes.php

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, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind and others. 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 : )

Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 15:49:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

"Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes, the Shaggy Parasol, is smaller than the Parasol Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera, and its stem lacks the snakeskin-like patterning associated with the Parasol. As a result of molecular studies (DNA analysis), in 2003 the genus Macrolepiota was split up and the Shaggy Parasol was transferred to the genus Chlorophyllum, where it resides with other poisonous parasol-like mushrooms."

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorophyllum-rhacodes.php

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 : )

Highlight of my day - Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria - hallucinogenic/poisonous

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 17:01:23 +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.

Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 07:34:07 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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 gloomy morning today, 14 September 2019, but the sun did appear sometimes in the afternoon. It definitely feels and looks like fall. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on. This afternoon, a few of us were fortunate enough to go on yet another fungi walk, this time SW of the city, to a new-to-us acreage. We were shown quite a mix of fungi species, and we were accompanied the whole time by the owners' two beautiful, friendly dogs. What I would give to have even a tenth of the energy that these dogs had! First, however, I wanted to add a few more photos tonight, taken at Rod Handfield's acreage, visited on 8 September.

Six 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 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 of them.

Puffballs and others growing on a tree stump

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:13:50 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Another wet, gloomy day today, 10 September 2019. Our temperature is 7C (feels like 5C). It definitely feels like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.

The day before yesterday, 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 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 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. 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. 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!

Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 16:12:32 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 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 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. Last night, I slept well. In the evening, I picked out six photos ready to post today. The quality of many, if not most, 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. 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!

Amanita muscaria

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 16:10:41 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Pholiota terrestris growing in soil

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:14:48 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.

Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.

How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!

"Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.

www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html

"Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.

www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php

Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.

What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today.

When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.

Coral fungus sp.

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:13:46 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Pholiota destruens fungus on cut end of a log

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 15:50:09 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.

How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!

"Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.

www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html

"Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.

www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php

Yesterday morning, 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike today, overcast and raining. Crummy weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, have turned on the heating, and am listening to the falling rain. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature today was 14C.

What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today.

When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.

Rural Alberta

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 06:05:30 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Well, I certainly didn't get very far with editing and posting photos taken on 25 August 2019, when a group of us took part in a bioblitz (mainly to see the amazing number of fungi!) of a wonderful old forest, in order to compare it to what was now growing in a large area that had been clearcut logged around three years ago. On 27 August, I finally made myself do a new drive that I hadn't had the courage to do before, going south of the city. The five photos posted tonight are from the drive on 27 August. After posting several fungi photos yesterday from the forest/clearcut outing, I decided that there are only so many fungi photos at a time that people will want to see here.

The trip down south was not a huge drive and many of the roads were familiar ones. Just the last part was what made me afraid to try. I am so glad I did this, as I had longed to go to this particular Ranch for years. A couple of years ago, a friend and I drove south from the city to get to Kananaskis. Somehow, he missed a turn-off and we ended up going some distance south instead of west. I loved the scenery that we were driving through and I was determined that, one day, I would drive there myself. Done!

The Ranch I wanted to see was the Bar U Ranch. I have seen so many photos online of the scattered sheds/barns and I was sure I would find plenty to photograph.

"Bar U cattle literally fed the world. The ranch fed workers building the first transcontinental railway and waves of immigrants flooding to a new land.

It fed Canada’s first Indian reservations, the first patrols of Northwest Mounted Police, our nation through the Great Depression and our soldiers through two World Wars. Bar U Percherons, “the work horses that powered North America,” built our cities and roads and pulled our trolleys and fire wagons, from New York City to Victoria, British Columbia.

One of the first, most successful, most enduring large scale cattle ranching operations in Canada, the Bar U in its hay day ranged 30,000 head of cattle on 160,000 acres of grassland, and was world renowned for its stock of 1,000 purebred Percherons.

Located deep in the southern Alberta foothills, on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the Bar U, from 1882 to 1950, was a force to be reckoned with. While other large Alberta ranches succeeded for a time only to go out of business, especially after the killer winters of 1886 and 1906, the Mighty Bar U persevered to eventually become a kingpin in a business empire that included a variety of ranches and farming enterprises, as well as meat packing plants and flour mills."

www.friendsofthebaru.com/bar_u_legacy.htm

By the time three and a quarter hours had passed by at the Ranch, including sitting on a log around a camp fire, drinking hot coffee and chatting with a couple of ladies who were telling us about camp life in the old days, I felt it was time to start heading back home. I returned via the rough, gravel, very dusty backroad that I use when I drive to Kananaskis, hoping that I might just see something of interest, but out of luck.

Thank goodness for Albums to keep photos together, and thank goodness Camera Roll is now finally back and working. Thank you, Flickr staff, for rebuilding this very useful tool for us.

Artichoke

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 17:26:23 +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. I added a touch of filter in post-processing, to add a bit of interest.

"The globe artichoke, also known as French artichoke and green artichoke in the USA, is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom." From Wikipedia.

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.

Gazania

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 17:23:37 +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.

THE TICK THAT BIT ME in South Texas! LONE STAR TICK?

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 23:23:59 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Does anyone happen to know what kind of tick this is? Could it possibly be a Cayenne Tick Nymph? I finally got round to taking a photo of the nasty little tick that bit me when we were staying in South Texas. I'm not sure exactly which day I discovered it - may have been day 2 or 3 (20 or 21 March 2019). As far as I know, this was the only one I got. Three of my four friends also got tick bites - one poor friend found around 60 ticks on her!!! A few itchy chigger bites were also had, though I escaped those, luckily. I should add that insect repellent was used. I kept my tick safely in a Ziploc bag until I returned to Calgary - it was so tiny. I've searched on Google, but have not been able to find any photos of an insect that has the same markings as mine.

Day 2 of our 13-day trip to southern Texas started off early in the morning. A glorious sunrise made this early start very worthwhile. It happened while we were driving north along highway 35 from our lodging at the Pelican Bay Resort in Rockport, and passing alongside the Aransas National Wildlife Reserve. In the same location, we saw a beautiful Crested Caracara perched along the edge of the road on a very ugly utility pole. The Caracara is one of my favourite birds. So different, so impressive.

We didn't drive all that far before turning round and coming back south, driving a few of the roads closer to the Copano Bay Causeway. There, we visited The Big Tree, 1,000 years old (some websites say 2,000 years), and a beautiful tourist attraction. We saw so many oak trees in all sorts of places on this holiday, but The Big Tree was 'king' of them all. So magnificent, with its twisted limbs. Driving a few roads near The Big Tree, including Lamar Beach Road, we saw Laughing Gulls, Roseate Spoonbills, Whooping Cranes, Egrets, American White Pelicans, etc.. I can't tell you how thankful I am to have a camera that has GPS. Without it, I would have no idea where we were!

In the evening of 31 March 2019, four friends and I arrived back in Calgary after an amazing 13-day birding trip (19-31 March 2019) to southern Texas! The following 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, as well as three dolphins, and Bluebonnets (flowers). Unlike on our trip to Ontario and Quebec last year, we were thrilled to see Northern Cardinals close enough to photograph this holiday.

One of my biggest thrills was actually not a bird, but a tiny Horned Lizard that I suddenly spotted maybe a foot away from my feet. I had missed seeing one here in SE Alberta maybe four or so years ago, which was so disappointing, but this more than made up for it.

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 more.

I have now downloaded all 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 I will be posting some of 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. Usually, I try not to post more than one photo at a time of a certain bird or flower. However, that hasn't happened so far with my Texas photos! Just wait till I get to the Whooping Cranes - at one point, we got the chance to watch a family of three feeding, giving us the opportunity to take lots of images. Apologies for posting so many photos too often. It took me about 10 months to complete editing and posting from our trip last year, to Ontario and Quebec! I really don't want to take that long this time. I only finished a few weeks before going on this Texas trip.