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

Wedge Pond, Kananaskis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:26:13 +0000

10 October 2019: temperature is -12C (windchill -14C), but is supposed to get up to 3C this afternoon. Rain is forecast for Sunday and light snow for Monday (Canadian Thanksgiving).

Having seen the weather forecast for another snow storm, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.

Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.

Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day. I guess cows, too, like licking salt and other minerals off the road surface.

So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added three of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag, which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies in Alberta in all these years - a female with one cub.

Wedge Pond in fading fall colours

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 16:53:29 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

9 October 2019: temperature is -7C (windchill -13C). It snowed again yesterday and more snow is forecast for this coming weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving).

Having seen the weather forecast for another snow storm, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.

Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.

Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day. I guess cows, too, like licking salt and other minerals off the road surface.

So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added three of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag, which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies in Alberta in all these years - a female with one cub.

Forgetmenot Pond

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 16:49:44 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

You may have already suspected that I was desperate for photo opportunities yesterday, 4 October 2019, lol! If so, how right you were. I just couldn't get it out of my head that maybe, just maybe, the snow had melted in a few places enough to let a few fungi grow. Here, in Calgary, a lot of the snow has melted, though I don't know if the local parks and natural areas still have much snow cover. However, as I discovered yesterday, closer to the mountains, there are still a few inches of the white stuff on the ground.

My intention had been to just drive west to the Bragg Creek area, to calm my mind one way or the other. Disappointment came quickly and, on the spur of the moment, I decided to drive west along Elbow Falls Trail in search of a few scenic shots. Though the landscape is always beautiful, there are only two or three places that I usually stop at, until I finally reach Forgetmenot Pond. The highway was beautifully clear of snow, but for walking, there were a few inches of snow and ice to slip and slide through. Once at the Pond, I only trudged as far as the main path that overlooks the water. At other times of the year, I walk around the pond, but not yesterday. I do not like winter walking!

Forgetmenot Pond is actually a man-made pond, left over from the excavation of a gravel pit. The water is crystal clear. It's just a short walk around the pond, but enjoyable to do. The main road this far into Kananaskis only opens in June each year, as a winter gate at Elbow Falls closes in December for the winter months, to protect the wildlife in the area.

I found the following 4-minute video on YouTube, taken by Kenneth Lori using a DJI Phantom 3 Professional quadcopter and taken on 16 June 2016. It travels over Forgetmenot Pond and the surrounding river and mountains.

youtu.be/fEamf0nDXt4

The eight photos I posted this morning are the only ones to post from yesterday's quick trip. It was getting on for 3:00 pm when I left home to drive westwards and, anyway, I didn't find much to shoot.

Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 16:48:28 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Buller Pond, Kananaskis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:26:08 +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 I posted the first few photos from this trip, too. Just not getting enough time at the moment .... sigh.

Wedge Pond, Kananaskis, Alberta

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:08:49 +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.

Yesterday was spent on backing up photos and starting the major task of slowly deleting photo folders from my computer. I still don't have enough room for my computer to function properly, so I will have to spend a lot more time in the days ahead, deleting more. While I was doing this, I noticed that I had only posted a dozen photos from this enjoyable day, so, today, I have added another eight.

The small peak just right of centre is The Fortress, with Gusty Peak immediately to its right.

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.

Lesser Scaup male / Aythya affinis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 28 May 2019 15:44:37 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 27 May 2019 - one of the new problems on Flickr today is having comments and faves not appear. If you get a first comment or make a first comment on someone else's photo, that comment will disappear. The comment is listed under the "bell", but does not appear under the photo. The "bell" stated that I had a comment under each of the five photos I posted today. These were the first comments to be made. Two of the comments stayed, but there was no sign of the other three. The same with faves - some show up, others don't. Other people are having the same problem and have reported it to the Help Forum. Looks like the same problem exists today.

On 23 May 2019, Flickr was unusable and some of the channels on TV were also not working. Combined, these two things made me decide that enough is enough, and that I needed to go for a short drive.

My first stop was at a local pond in the city, where I enjoyed seeing this Lesser Scaup, a Coot, Mallards, and a Common Grackle or two. It was also fun to come across a small group of children with their "care-givers". I identified a Coot for them and told them that it was not a duck and that their babies were so ugly that they were very, very cute. I did see one Red-necked Grebe swimming, but I didn't venture further along the path as I zoomed in on two Police officers checking out a parked car along the pathway.

After spending a bit of time at this location, I drove westwards to my "usual" area, wondering if I would see Mountain Bluebirds and a Snipe. I was in luck with both. This is the area that my small "team" covers for the annual May Species Count, so I was curious as to what I/we might see. The 23rd annual Count took place the day before yesterday, on 26 May. The weather was good (3C - 17C) - no sign of the rain that we've been getting on far too many days recently. However we desperately need the moisture. There are already wild fires in Alberta and the number will only increase over the summer. It is supposed to be another bad summer with fires and smoke.

There were nine of us on the May Species Count, travelling in two cars. We were out for 7 hours, travelling 52 km in our Count area, and saw 66 bird species. I will add the list of species in a comment box below so that I will be able to look back in a year's time and remind myself of what we saw in 2019.

Lesser Scaup male / Aythya affinis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 28 May 2019 15:40:56 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 27 May 2019 - one of the new problems on Flickr today is having comments and faves not appear. If you get a first comment or make a first comment on someone else's photo, that comment will disappear. The comment is listed under the "bell", but does not appear under the photo. The "bell" stated that I had a comment under each of the five photos I posted today. These were the first comments to be made. Two of the comments stayed, but there was no sign of the other three. The same with faves - some show up, others don't. Other people are having the same problem and have reported it to the Help Forum.

On 23 May 2019, Flickr was unusable and some of the channels on TV were also not working. Combined, these two things made me decide that enough is enough, and that I needed to go for a short drive.

My first stop was at a local pond in the city, where I enjoyed seeing this Lesser Scaup, a Coot, Mallards, and a Common Grackle or two. It was also fun to come across a small group of children with their "care-givers". I identified a Coot for them and told them that it was not a duck and that their babies were so ugly that they were very, very cute. I did see one Red-necked Grebe swimming, but I didn't venture further along the path as I zoomed in on two Police officers checking out a parked car along the pathway.

After spending a bit of time at this location, I drove westwards to my "usual" area, wondering if I would see Mountain Bluebirds and a Snipe. I was in luck with both. This is the area that my small "team" covers for the annual May Species Count, so I was curious as to what I/we might see. The 23rd annual Count took place the day before yesterday, on 26 May. The weather was good (3C - 17C) - no sign of the rain that we've been getting on far too many days recently. However we desperately need the moisture. There are already wild fires in Alberta and the number will only increase over the summer. It is supposed to be another bad summer with fires and smoke.

There were nine of us on the May Species Count, travelling in two cars. We were out for 7 hours, travelling 52 km in our Count area, and saw 66 bird species. I will add the list of species in a comment box below so that I will be able to look back in a year's time and remind myself of what we saw in 2019.

Lesser Scaup male / Aythya affinis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 28 May 2019 15:38:49 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 27 May 2019 - one of the new problems on Flickr today is having comments and faves not appear. If you get a first comment or make a first comment on someone else's photo, that comment will disappear. The comment is listed under the "bell", but does not appear under the photo. The "bell" stated that I had a comment under each of the five photos I posted today. These were the first comments to be made. Two of the comments stayed, but there was no sign of the other three. The same with faves - some show up, others don't. Other people are having the same problem and have reported it to the Help Forum.

On 23 May 2019, Flickr was unusable and some of the channels on TV were also not working. Combined, these two things made me decide that enough is enough, and that I needed to go for a short drive.

My first stop was at a local pond in the city, where I enjoyed seeing this Lesser Scaup, a Coot, Mallards, and a Common Grackle or two. It was also fun to come across a small group of children with their "care-givers". I identified a Coot for them and told them that it was not a duck and that their babies were so ugly that they were very, very cute. I did see one Red-necked Grebe swimming, but I didn't venture further along the path as I zoomed in on two Police officers checking out a parked car along the pathway.

After spending a bit of time at this location, I drove westwards to my "usual" area, wondering if I would see Mountain Bluebirds and a Snipe. I was in luck with both. This is the area that my small "team" covers for the annual May Species Count, so I was curious as to what I/we might see. The 23rd annual Count took place the day before yesterday, on 26 May. The weather was good (3C - 17C) - no sign of the rain that we've been getting on far too many days recently. However we desperately need the moisture. There are already wild fires in Alberta and the number will only increase over the summer. It is supposed to be another bad summer with fires and smoke.

There were nine of us on the May Species Count, travelling in two cars. We were out for 7 hours, travelling 52 km in our Count area, and saw 66 bird species. I will add the list of species in a comment box below so that I will be able to look back in a year's time and remind myself of what we saw in 2019.

Lesser Scaup male / Aythya affinis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 27 May 2019 17:11:42 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

One of the new problems on Flickr today is having comments and faves not appear. If you get a first comment or make a first comment on someone else's photo, that comment will disappear. The comment is listed under the "bell", but does not appear under the photo. The "bell" stated that I had a comment under each of the five photos I posted today. These were the first comments to be made. Two of the comments stayed, but there was no sign of the other three. The same with faves - some show up, others don't. Other people are having the same problem and have reported it to the Help Forum.

On 23 May 2019, Flickr was unusable and some of the channels on TV were also not working. Combined, these two things made me decide that enough is enough, and that I needed to go for a short drive.

My first stop was at a local pond in the city, where I enjoyed seeing this Lesser Scaup, a Coot, Mallards, and a Common Grackle or two. It was also fun to come across a small group of children with their "care-givers". I identified a Coot for them and told them that it was not a duck and that their babies were so ugly that they were very, very cute. I did see one Red-necked Grebe swimming, but I didn't venture further along the path as I zoomed in on two Police officers checking out a parked car along the pathway.

After spending a bit of time at this location, I drove westwards to my "usual" area, wondering if I would see Mountain Bluebirds and a Snipe. I was in luck with both. This is the area that my small "team" covers for the annual May Species Count, so I was curious as to what I/we might see. The 23rd annual Count took place yesterday, 26 May. The weather was good (3C - 17C) - no sign of the rain that we've been getting on far too many days recently. However we desperately need the moisture. There are already wild fires in Alberta and the number will only increase over the summer.

There were nine of us on the May Species Count, travelling in two cars. We were out for 7 hours, travelling 52 km in our Count area, and saw 66 bird species. I will add the list of species in a comment box below so that I will be able to look back in a year's time and remind myself of what we saw in 2019.

Common Grackle after a bath

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 27 May 2019 17:10:49 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Day 2, young White Ibis, Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary, South Texas

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 00:38:35 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Later morning, on Day 2 of our holiday, 20 March 2019, after our drive to The Big Tree and then along the Lamar Beach Road area, we went to the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary. This is a small, 6.25 acre nature sanctuary that exists in Rockport itself. Such a peaceful place to wander, watching for plants and butterflies as well as birds. There is a small pond, where we watched a young White Ibis, a Great Egret and a Snowy Egret all feeding together. Lovely to see their reflections in the water, too. I will get to those photos shortly. Last night, I was Googling and came across an article from 19 March 2019, telling about a group of students who chose to spend their Spring Break week helping to tidy the Sanctuary. Good for them!

"The Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary is a mixture of oak motte and native grasses. This is the original location of the famed Rockport Cottages, operated by Connie and Jack Hagar. Mrs. Hagar moved to Rockport in 1935 and devoted her life to documenting birdlife in the Rockport area." From link below.

aransaspathways.com/connie-hagar-cottage-sanctuary/

After spending some time at this Sanctuary, we went to the Aransas First Cove Harbor Wetlands Sanctuary, followed by eventually finding the Newbury Park Hummingbird Garden. This was definitely not what we were expecting - just a small area of grass and trees with picnic tables. However, we did see a beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and a small, purple Winecup flower. Afterwards, a repeat drive along Cape Velero Drive turned up some nice birds, too.

Time to feed

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 16:26:58 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

On 25 October 2018, I dashed down to a place that I had been curious about for the last few years. Every time I drove the highway, I would pass a sign that said Kayben Farms. My daughter had posted photos from a visit there with friends a while ago and there were a few things that I wanted to see sometime. A spur-of-the-moment visit gave me the chance to do so. Actually, I suspect it may also have been a delaying tactic for all the endless things that I knew I should be seeing to.

There were a few sheds/barns scattered around the grounds. Most were a pretty basic, simple shape and not old. However, I loved one little barn and absolutely loved the wonderfully bright and colourful door of two other buildings. The one barn had an assortment of ducks, chickens, pigs - and a rabbit that I only noticed when I was editing the image. There were several different kinds of domestic duck and two in particular caught my eye. A female domestic Turkey had two babies, one black and the other was a tan colour, and what a good mother she was.

Wandering near the corn maze - now closed till next year - I came across a dead Sunflower hanging its head. One of my favourite things to photograph, at any stage of their life. As for a corn maze, nothing would make me enter .... nothing, unless the corn plants were no higher than my waist and if I was with someone who has an excellent sense of direction!

Various pieces of old farm equipment dotted the area. I always enjoy coming across such things on any of my travels.

In a nearby area, there was a variety of farm animals, including a very cute pig that was fast asleep and snoring loudly, and horses, sheep and goats were entertaining. All made for a very pleasant visit, just in time before the farm closed to the public for the winter season.

Unidentified domestic Duck

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 13:52:11 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Domestic duck, unidentified

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 16:22:03 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Two afternoons ago, on 25 October 2018, I dashed down to a place that I had been curious about for the last few years. Every time I drove the highway, I would pass a sign that said Kayben Farms. My daughter had posted photos from a visit there with friends a while ago and there were a few things that I wanted to see sometime. A spur-of-the-moment visit yesterday gave me the chance to do so. Actually, I suspect it may also have been a delaying tactic for all the endless things that I knew I should be seeing to.

There were a few sheds/barns scattered around the grounds. Most were a pretty basic, simple shape and not old. However, I absolutely loved the wonderfully bright and colourful door of two of the buildings.

Wandering near the corn maze - now closed till next year - I came across a beautiful dead Sunflower hanging its head. One of my favourite things to photograph, at any stage of their life. As for a corn maze, nothing would make me enter .... nothing, unless the corn plants were no higher than my waist and if I was with someone who has an excellent sense of direction!

Various pieces of old farm equipment dotted the area. I always enjoy coming across such things on any of my travels.

There were several different kinds of domestic duck and two in particular caught my eye. The one in this photo was quite beautiful, but moved constantly and fast. Looked quite an elongated duck. A female domestic Turkey had two babies, one black and the other was a tan colour, and what a good mother she was. A variety of farm animals, incluing a large Pot-bellied (?) Pig that was fast asleep and snoring loudly, made for a very pleasant visit.

Forgetmenot Pond, Elbow Falls Trail

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 15:11:44 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Back to Alberta for these four photos! I haven't even started going through all my photos from Day 3 of our trip to Ontario and Quebec in May.

This was just a short, spur-of-the-moment drive (like most of my outings seem to be) yesterday, 24 October 2018. My destination was Forgetmenot Pond, along the eastern edge of the Rockies. I also called in at Elbow Falls to take a few photos on the way home. I had been hoping to get out to this area all year, and finally made it.

Forgetmenot Pond is actually a man-made pond, left over from the excavation of a gravel pit. The water is crystal clear. It's just a short walk around the pond, but enjoyable to do. The main road this far into Kananaskis only opens in June each year, as a winter gate at Elbow Falls closes in December for the winter months, to protect the wildlife in the area.

I found the following 4-minute video on YouTube, taken by Kenneth Lori using a DJI Phantom 3 Professional quadcopter and taken on 16 June 2016. It travels over Forgetmenot Pond and the surrounding river and mountains.

youtu.be/fEamf0nDXt4

I was glad that I had put my winter boots in my car, as when I reached my destination, i needed them. There was snow on the ground, which had partly melted and then frozen. The narrow path was just too icy to walk on in many places, so I only took a few photos at Forgetmenot Pond. Also, the light was awful, as there was no sign of the sun - not what the weather forecast had said. As I was leaving the city, the cloud formation was beautiful, but that quickly changed to solid, dreary cloud, which lasted all afternoon. I almost turned around and came home, as the distant mountains were far from clear. However, I had spent too much time the previous day, editing photos, and the constant mouse clicking had made my arm and shoulder more painful, so I really needed a break from my computer.

Yellowlegs - Lesser or Greater?

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:53:37 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

More snow fell last night and it is still snowing very lightly this morning, 9 October 2018. Shortly before noon, our temperature is -4C (windchill -9C).

Last night, I finally took another look at the photos I took way back in May, on our two-week trip to Point Pelee (Ontario) and Tadoussac (Quebec). I have only edited and posted photos from the first day there and a few from our second morning. I really need to get busy on this huge task and I think I may have to post far too many photos at a time. Will do this later in a day or at night, when most people are probably off Flickr. Many photos are simply "for the record" shots and not of good quality. I will see how long I can keep this up, though, as editing and posting photos does not help with the inflammation in my shoulder rotator cuffs. Nor does holding up a camera and taking photos!!

On 6 October 2018, I joined a few birding friends for another day out east of the city. The weather was beautiful, and so different from the freezing cold trip that was held about a week earlier. As usual on these birding trips, almost every bird was far, far away. Luckily, this Yellowlegs wandered somewhat closer, so that I could actually see the feather detail on it.

Another bird I was happy to see was a Thayer's Gull. I was thinking that I had never seen one before, or at least not to get a photo. However, I checked my photostream and discovered a photo of a juvenile that I took on 25 March 2018. The Thayer's Gull is now called an Iceland Gull. "The darker-winged “Thayer’s” gull of the west used to be considered a different species; the two were lumped in 2017."

Like many people, I just don't "do" Gulls. A lack of interest in them does seem to be fairly widespread, On this day, however, our leader, Terry Korolyk, who is a Gull expert (along with tremendous knowledge on hybrids and all birds/wildlife), found several huge flocks of various Gulls at different locations, along with other bird species, including a few more Rusty Blackbirds (whose numbers are declining). A delight to see a few distant Swans, a Wilson's Snipe, Greater White-fronted Geese, Yellowlegs and an assortment of other shorebirds and waterfowl.

Thank you, Terry, for yet another enjoyable and interesting trip. Thank you, also, for the ride.

On a cold summer day with mist and drizzle

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 03:43:03 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Tonight, I have just added 8 extra photos of poor quality. They were taken during a walk with friends this morning, 15 September 2018, at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. I just wanted to add them to various albums for the record.

The weather was so unpleasant today - cold (just a few degrees above freezing), misty and drizzling. Longjohns, gloves, two fleece jackets and a light shell were all needed. Some people were even wearing their thick, padded winter jackets. The atrocious light was useless for photography. However, I so rarely get to this location and so I wanted to add several sightings that were much appreciated, especially an American Mink that was spotted the far side of the lagoon, a few deer and a very distant Great Blue Heron.

After our walk, some of us went for lunch at the Blackfoot Diner. It was cold enough outside to make it feel really good to be able to wrap our fingers round cups of hot coffee,

Everyone here is really hoping that we will actually have an autumn this year. Quite a few of the trees have turned yellow, but we have had rain and snow this week and some of the leaves are already on the ground. This is SUMMER! What a crazy summer we have had this year - heat (including breaking an all-time record for here!), slightly cooler days in between, snow and rain accompanied by temperatures that are barely above freezing and windchills that have plunged below 0C. Oh, and weeks of very poor air quality because of the smoke that was blowing in from the Britisih Columbia wildfires. Just when we were thinking that fall has arrived early, along came the snow. Keeping fingers crossed that another week of crummy weather and hopefully fall will return, with much-needed sunshine and warmth.

Water Lily

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 18:57:01 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This morning, after viewing the photos I posted last night, from our second day at Pt Pelee, I needed to remind myself that I CAN take much better photos, given the opportunity : ) So, I decided to find, edit and post three "better", more colourful images. These three were all taken at the Calgary Zoo on 26 June 2018.

The last time I had visited the Calgary Zoo was on 6 October 2015. I used to go fairly often, but my usual parking lot and Zoo entrance then closed for the winter. Since then, road construction and bridge replacement have been going on, but has now been completed. The drive to the north entrance of the Zoo is definitely out of my driving comfort zone, so I have been waiting for this day for a long time. This day was THE day - for me and for half the people in the city!! It was packed! I decided to go before schools closed for the summer. However, I suspect some schools had end-of-term Zoo visits on this day. When I checked the weather forecast, rain was in the forecast for the next six days, so I knew i needed to go straight away.

My visit only covered about half the Zoo, as I usually spend a lot of time in the Conservatory, enjoying the plants and tropical butterflies. My daughter had taken a photo of a gigantic lily pad, Victoria Water Lily / Victoria amazonica, and I really wanted to see it. There were three or four of these in a tiny pool. I love the pattern on the underside of the upturned edge of each lily pad, I didn't see a huge variety of butterfly species that day, but there were enough to keep me happily clicking.

My intention had not been to visit the Panda family, as I was sure there would be an extremely long line-up. However, I was able to just walk in, which was great. How lucky we are to have these four amazing animals visit our Zoo. They were in an inside enclosure, full of plants - and Bamboo, of course. I'm not sure how many hours a day these animals sleep, but two of the three that could be seen slept for part of the time I was there. Had to smile at the very uncomfortable positions in which they slept. There was no glass in front of one of the Pandas, but two other Pandas, including the one in the next photo, were in a glassed-in part of the enclosure. Almost impossible to get photos without the reflections of the crowds of people.

The Bactrian Camel had recently given birth to a baby - such a cute little thing, that they have named Gobi. No sign of the Red Pandas when I passed their enclosure. One of the birds I love to see - though these birds tend to hide! - is the amazing Himalayan Monal. The male, especially, takes my breath away each time I see it.

A few hours well spent happily clicking. Hopefully, it won't be almost three years before my next visit, though the west entrance does close each winter. It felt so good to once again be back in a place full of colour and interest.

Always a treat to see

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 15:42:33 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Independence Day, Fourth of July! Thinking of our neighbours to the south and Americans around the world on this special day. A special thought to all those who serve to protect the American people.

"Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire. The Congress actually voted to declare independence two days earlier, on July 2." From Wikipedia.

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This beautiful Water Lily was growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 26 June 2018. Each time I go to the Zoo, I always hope that at least one of these beautiful Water Lilies will be in bloom.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae

The last time I visited the Calgary Zoo was on 6 October 2015. I used to go fairly often, but my usual parking lot and Zoo entrance then closed for the winter. Since then, road construction and bridge replacement have been going on, but has now been completed. The drive to the north entrance of the Zoo is definitely out of my driving comfort zone, so I had been waiting for this day for a long time. June 26th 2018 was THE day - for me and for half the people in the city!! It was packed! I had decided to go before schools close for the summer. However, I suspect some schools had end-of-term Zoo visits on this day. Also, when I checked the weather forecast, rain was in the forecast for the next six days, so I knew i needed to go straight away.

My visit only covered about half the Zoo, as I usually spend a lot of time in the Conservatory, enjoying the plants and tropical butterflies. My daughter had taken a photo of a gigantic lily pad, Victoria Water Lily / Victoria amazonica, and I really wanted to see it. There were three or four of these in a tiny pool. I love the pattern on the underside of the upturned edge of each lily pad, I didn't see a huge variety of butterfly species that day, but there were enough to keep me happily clicking. They vary from day to day, as new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises..

My intention had not been to visit the newly arrived Panda family, as I was sure there would be an extremely long line-up. However, I was able to just walk in, which was great. How lucky we are to have these four amazing animals visit our Zoo. They were in an inside enclosure, full of plants - and Bamboo, of course. I'm not sure how many hours a day these animals sleep, but two of the three that could be seen slept for part of the time I was there. Had to smile at the very uncomfortable positions in which they slept. Part of the enclosure has glass, which made it almost impossible to get photos without the reflections of the crowds of people.

The Bactrian Camel had recently given birth to a baby - such a cute little thing. No sign of the Red Pandas when I passed their enclosure. One of the birds I love to see - though these birds tend to hide! - is the amazing Himalayan Monal. The male, especially, takes my breath away each time I see it.

A few hours well spent happily clicking. Hopefully, it won't be almost three years before my next visit, though the west entrance does close each winter. It felt so good to once again be back in a place full of colour and interest.