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

Cedar Waxwing / Bombycilla cedrorum

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:26:31 +0000

Once again, I am up-to-date with my local photos, after going on a two-hour birding walk in Fish Creek Park yesterday evening, 18 June 2019. Maybe I can make a start on Day 9 of our South Texas birding trip back in March 2019. A total of 36 bird species were seen, though I missed many of these birds.

The forecast was for rain, so I wasn't sure if we were going to get caught in a downpour. Instead, we enjoyed sunshine and a pleasant temperature. This morning, 19 June, it is only 10C (windchill 7C) and overcast, with an expected high of 12C. Wish we could send our rain further north, where there are various wildfires burning. As of right now, there are 6 fires out of control, 7 being held, and 9 under control.

Mallard family swimming on the river

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:25:34 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Osprey / Pandion haliaetus

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:24:08 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yellow Warbler / Setophaga petechia

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:21:57 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Brown-headed Cowbird / Molothrus ater

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:21:03 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Osprey

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:19:58 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Cedar Waxwing

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:19:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Cedar Waxwing

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:17:34 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Osprey

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:16:45 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Cedar Waxwing

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:16:03 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Osprey pair harassed by Red-winged Blackbird

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:15:07 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Once again, I am up-to-date with my local photos, after going on a two-hour birding walk in Fish Creek Park yesterday evening, 18 June 2019. Maybe I can make a start on Day 9 of our South Texas birding trip back in March 2019. A total of 36 bird species were seen, though I missed many of these birds. A couple of Red-winged Blackbirds kept giving chase and harassing this pair of Osprey.

The forecast was for rain, so I wasn't sure if we were going to get caught in a downpour. Instead, we enjoyed sunshine and a pleasant temperature. This morning, 19 June, it is only 10C (windchill 7C) and overcast, with an expected high of 12C. Wish we could send our rain further north, where there are various wildfires burning. As of right now, there are 6 fires out of control, 7 being held, and 9 under control.

Eileen Tannas with baby Flemish Giant Rabbit

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 04:40:11 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Practically no activity on Flickr, so I decided to edit and post the rest of my photos from yesterday's great visit to the Tannas Farm, north of the city.

Yesterday, 16 June 2019, a small group of us had an amazing visit with Eileen and Steven Tannas at their farm, north of Cochrane. One or two of us had been there several times previously, but to everyone else, this was a new experience.

This very enthusiastic couple work so hard in the area of native species, growing various species in their greenhouses. They do a lot of research in connection with doing things naturally. On our last visit, Steven was excited to show us some of his new additions - pigs. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see large pigs that were covered in curly hair! His pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - last visit, three of them were Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and one was a Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). One female had piglets a few weeks ago - so cute, and you can see the curls just beginning to start.
They have already lost their stripes. They are being fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, thanks to Save-On Foods, so were busily munching on a variety of nutritious fruits. What an excellent way to not waste expired food at the same time as donating a wonderful source of fruit and vegetables to feed healthy animals. They also receive left-over bread from a baker.

"The Mangalica (also Mangalitsa or Mangalitza) is a Hungarian breed of domestic pig. It was developed in the mid-19th century by crossbreeding Hungarian breeds from Szalonta and Bakony with the European wild boar and the Serbian Šumadija breed. The Mangalica pig grows a thick, woolly coat similar to that of a sheep. The only other pig breed noted for having a long coat is the extinct Lincolnshire Curly-coated pig of England." From Wikipedia.

modernfarmer.com/2014/03/meet-mangalitsa-hairy-pig-thats-...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalica

We also enjoyed seeing their chickens/roosters, and what fine looking birds they are - and I suspect they know it, judging by the way they stride around. They have to be kept in an enclosure, to keep foxes, etc. away from them. I never knew that chickens will eat mice!

Another project is raising Flemish Giant Rabbits, only for feeding their own family. These are large, beautiful rabbits. One female had had babies just three weeks ago, and we had the chance to hold one of these tiny creatures. Their fur is so silky.

Since our last visit, so many new projects have been started. So much information from this extremely knowledgeable couple - what a great team they make! I will add what I wrote under an older photo, but there will be new links and info available on their websites,

Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:

www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html

www.tannasenvironmental.com/

www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm

Thank you so much, Eileen and Steven, for spending an afternoon with us, taking us to all parts of your most impressive farm and explaining in great detail all the research you are doing. What a pleasure it is to see your three little children living such a healthy life and learning so much.

Thank you, Anne, for giving two of us a ride there and back! Greatly appreciated. Without your willingness to do this, I suspect there may have been no trip yesterday.

Eileen with 3-week-old Flemish Giant Rabbit

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 19:13:26 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 16 June 2019, a small group of us had an amazing visit with Eileen and Steven Tannas at their farm, north of Cochrane. One or two of us had been there several times previously, but to everyone else, this was a new experience.

This very enthusiastic couple work so hard in the area of native species, growing various species in their greenhouses. They do a lot of research in connection with doing things naturally. On our last visit, Steven was excited to show us some of his new additions - pigs. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see large pigs that were covered in curly hair! His pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - last visit, three of them were Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and one was a Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). One female had piglets a few weeks ago - so cute, and you can see the curls just beginning to start.
They have already lost their stripes. They are being fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, thanks to Save-On Foods, so were busily munching on a variety of nutritious fruits. What an excellent way to not waste expired food at the same time as donating a wonderful source of fruit and vegetables to feed healthy animals. They also receive left-over bread from a baker.

"The Mangalica (also Mangalitsa or Mangalitza) is a Hungarian breed of domestic pig. It was developed in the mid-19th century by crossbreeding Hungarian breeds from Szalonta and Bakony with the European wild boar and the Serbian Šumadija breed. The Mangalica pig grows a thick, woolly coat similar to that of a sheep. The only other pig breed noted for having a long coat is the extinct Lincolnshire Curly-coated pig of England." From Wikipedia.

modernfarmer.com/2014/03/meet-mangalitsa-hairy-pig-thats-...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalica

We also enjoyed seeing their chickens/roosters, and what fine looking birds they are - and I suspect they know it, judging by the way they stride around. They have to be kept in an enclosure, to keep foxes, etc. away from them. I never knew that chickens will eat mice!

Another project is raising Flemish Giant Rabbits, only for feeding their own family. These are large, beautiful rabbits. One female had had babies just three weeks ago, and we had the chance to hold one of these tiny creatures. Their fur is so silky.

Since our last visit, so many new projects have been started. So much information from this extremely knowledgeable couple - what a great team they make! I will add what I wrote under an older photo, but there will be new links and info available on their websites,

Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:

www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html

www.tannasenvironmental.com/

www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm

Thank you so much, Eileen and Steven, for spending an afternoon with us, taking us to all parts of your most impressive farm and explaining in great detail all the research you are doing. What a pleasure it is to see your three little children living such a healthy life and learning so much.

Thank you, Anne, for giving two of us a ride there and back! Greatly appreciated. Without your willingness to do this, I suspect there may have been no trip yesterday.

Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago delicata

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 14:11:58 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Three days ago, on 13 June 2019, I was invited to visit the acreage where friend, Jackie, now lives. The 16 photos taken there and posted yesterday afternoon are all on private land, so no location is given, for obvious security reasons. Jackie has only been there for the last few months, but is loving life in such a nature Paradise. So much wildlife and plant life, and I can't think of anyone more perfect to be living there, enjoying every new sighting and loving all the regulars. Thank you so much for inviting me, Jackie, and it was great to catch up with everyone!

Perhaps the main creature that I was really hoping I would see was the beautiful Thirteen-lined Groundsquirrel. I had seen them in Weaselhead in a couple of places, and in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : )

"The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the great talkaboutwildlife website, which no longer exists.

"The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is strictly diurnal and is especially active on warm days. A solitary or only somewhat colonial hibernator, it often occurs in aggregations in suitable habitats.

In late summer, it puts on a heavy layer of fat and stores some food in its burrow. It enters its nest in October (some adults retire much earlier), rolls into a stiff ball, and decreases its respiration from between 100 and 200 breaths per minute to one breath about every five minutes. It emerges in March or early April.

The burrow may be 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 metres) long, with several side passages. Most of the burrow is within one to two feet (about half a meter) of the surface, with only the hibernation nest in a special deeper section. Shorter burrows are dug as hiding places. This ground squirrel's home range is two to three acres (0.8 to 1.2 ha).

Its primary diet includes grass and weed seeds, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it may also eat mice and shrews; it will viciously attack and consume cicadas if able to catch them. This squirrel sometimes damages gardens by digging burrows and eating vegetables, but also devours weed seeds and harmful insects.

It is well known for standing upright to survey its domain, diving down into its burrow when it senses danger, then sometimes poking out its nose and giving a bird-like trill. It has a maximum running speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) and reverses direction if chased." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel

After visiting Jackie, I decided to drive and see if any of my regular birds were out and about. Luckily, they were, so this morning I have posted 9 shots, including Wilson's Snipe, Mountain Bluebirds, and Eastern Kingbird.

"Though the long tradition of “snipe hunt” pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Snipe/id

According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."

youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q

Tree Swallow / Tachycineta bicolor

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 14:08:37 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Rare Thirteen-lined Groundsquirrel / Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 22:26:10 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Two days ago, I was invited to visit the acreage where friend, Jackie, now lives. The 16 photos taken there and posted this afternoon are all on private land, so no location is given, for obvious security reasons. Jackie has only been there for the last few months, but is loving life in such a nature Paradise. So much wildlife and plant life, and I can't think of anyone more perfect to be living there, enjoying every new sighting and loving all the regulars. Thank you so much for inviting me, Jackie, and it was great to catch up with everyone!

Perhaps the main creature that I was really hoping I would see was the beautiful Thirteen-lined Groundsquirrel. I had seen them in Weaselhead in various places, and in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : )

"The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the great talkaboutwildlife website, which no longer exists.

"The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is strictly diurnal and is especially active on warm days. A solitary or only somewhat colonial hibernator, it often occurs in aggregations in suitable habitats.

In late summer, it puts on a heavy layer of fat and stores some food in its burrow. It enters its nest in October (some adults retire much earlier), rolls into a stiff ball, and decreases its respiration from between 100 and 200 breaths per minute to one breath about every five minutes. It emerges in March or early April.

The burrow may be 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 metres) long, with several side passages. Most of the burrow is within one to two feet (about half a meter) of the surface, with only the hibernation nest in a special deeper section. Shorter burrows are dug as hiding places. This ground squirrel's home range is two to three acres (0.8 to 1.2 ha).

Its primary diet includes grass and weed seeds, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it may also eat mice and shrews; it will viciously attack and consume cicadas if able to catch them. This squirrel sometimes damages gardens by digging burrows and eating vegetables, but also devours weed seeds and harmful insects.

It is well known for standing upright to survey its domain, diving down into its burrow when it senses danger, then sometimes poking out its nose and giving a bird-like trill. It has a maximum running speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) and reverses direction if chased." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel

Cedar Waxwing / Bombycilla cedrorum

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 05:09:20 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Instead of starting on Day 9 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, I thought I had better deal with a couple of walks I went on in the last few days. One was a birding walk and the other a botany outing. I usually miss most of these, but made an extra effort to get out with friends for a few hours. I will also have some photos from today, 13 June 2019, after being invited to spend some time at a friend's acreage this morning, followed by a short drive along a few of my usual roads. They should be somewhat 'better' images : )

The 9 photos added tonight were taken in Calgary on 9 June 2019, when I went with friends on a birding walk down in Weaselhead. It turned out to be a much longer walk than expected, around 5 km, but felt further than that. This walk always starts with a long hill to walk down and the same hill to face at the end of the walk.

It was rather quiet bird-wise, but we were happy to see a Calliope Hummingbird. I have posted a couple of shots, just for my own record.

I almost didn't go on this walk, as the weather forecast said there might be rain. Fortunately, we were lucky. Our weather has been its usual crazy self - snow was even mentioned in the forecast for this week, but it has changed to rain and maybe some thunderstorms. The ground is so dry, so we need all the moisture we can get. It rained when I was out this afternoon - for about five minutes.

Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago delicata

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 15:52:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Well, 24 hours ago, I was so relieved that I was all caught up with my recent photos, leaving me with just the last few days of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas to sort through, edit and post. Then, yesterday, I happened to check the weather forecast and discovered that we were in for a few days of rain. That settled it, I knew I had better go for a short drive, and ended up going to my 'usual' places.

Four of the birds I saw and was able to photograph were a Wilson's Snipe, a Black Tern on a fence post, a Mountain Bluebird against a field of yellow, and a female American Goldfinch who was hanging out with a pair of Bluebirds.

By the time I got out SW of the city, a few dark clouds were rolling in and it was windy. I remember the wind slightly ruffling the Snipe's feathers, but the other three birds were having a hard time keeping their balance, especially the Tern.

Though these birds didn't come with the excitement of being lifers for me, I get just as much enjoyment from finding and taking photos of these birds that I have seen before, many times over the years. Which is just as well, as I so rarely see a new bird species, except for when I am fortunate enough to go on special trip like the one to South Texas. It also feels good to be able to share a few 'better' photos, when I post so many that are just record shots : )

"Though the long tradition of “snipe hunt” pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Snipe/id

According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."

youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q

Yellow Warbler / Setophaga petechia

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 19:35:11 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Thankfully, the smoke from the wildfires to the north of us has eased up. However, did I really read on the Weather Network that there is a risk of SNOW in a few days' time?!! Actually, having just written that, it reminded me that yesterday, at one point, I looked out of my window and saw what almost looked like a few snowflakes falling. Then it occurred to me that maybe it was ash in the air from the northern wildfires.

This afternoon, I added 11 photos taken on 28 May 2019, when I joined a few friends for an evening birding walk at Carburn Park. Usually, I don't go on evening walks, as by that time of day, I feel tired out and prefer to be home on my computer. I never seem to get over to Carburn Park on my own, so I decided this walk would at least get me there.

Not a huge amount to see, but we were very happy to see three separate, distant Beavers, and I was happy to see a Yellow Warbler and even get a photo or two of it. The light in the evening was not the best for taking photos.

Thanks for giving up one of your evenings for us, Janet! it was enjoyable to catch up with friends, as always.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak male / Pheucticus ludovicianus

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 19:45:09 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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