To say that I lucked out with timing on March 29th is an understatement! I was so very lucky to come across two of these beautiful Grouse on a snow embankment along the gravel road I drive on to see the owls. One of them was making its way into the trees, but this beautiful female stayed where she was and made a few different poses for me : ) This was the first time I'd ever seen a Spruce Grouse and, though a male would have been amazing, I'm very happy to have seen this female. I saw my very first Mountain Bluebirds of the year that day, too! Always such a thrill to see the very first flash of brilliant blue after the winter months. And there were about 30 very distant Swans on a slough, too - again, my first of the year. Too far away to tell if Tundra or Trumpeter, but most likely to be Tundra. My drive that day was about 225 km, and I was exhausted by the time I got home.

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No Great Gray Owls or Northern Hawk Owls (which I did hear calling) for me when I drove NW of the city two days ago. However, I did get a few quick shots of this little Tree Swallow along one of the backroads south of the city on my way home.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_Swallow

Anyone else finding that Flickr is horribly slow this evening? I was out on my volunteer shift today, so have been away from my computer. This evening, though, everything I click on takes forever to do something.

The link below is from YouTube, showing the progress of the three Amur Tiger cubs at the Calgary Zoo. Their mother is apparently providing great care. This video from the den box camera was taken on Friday, April 20.

youtu.be/XFyAFe0nCeY

Tags:   Alberta Canada southern Alberta south of 22X nature ornithology avian bird birds Swallow Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor songbird adult perched barbed-wire iridescent migratory Passerine

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I finally got a look at the two fluffy Great Horned Owlets on April 30th, at Sikome, Fish Creek Park. Crummy weather, horribly grey, and I think I cropped this a little too close - looks grainier this morning than it did very late last night : ) It gives you an idea, though, of what these two adorable fluffballs look like. Mom was away from the nest - I guess they are living in pretty cramped quarters right now, ha.

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This image of a Canada Goose was taken in SW Calgary on April 22nd. It approached, hoping to be fed - but, of course, it was out of luck. Canada Geese have strong, tapered bills that have lamellae along the edges. These are teeth-like projections of the bill that are used for cutting vegetation. Of course, it would have been better if I hadn't cnmpletely blown out the white on the side of the head, ha.

Tags:   Calgary Alberta Canada Bridlewood nature bird Canada Goose Branta canadensis lamellae water outdoor annkelliott Anne Elliott

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Taken, of course, at the Calgary Zoo and not out in the wild - I wish! The black background is from a small wooden platform in the enclosure, that the Eagle decided to perch in front of. The Zoo is the only way I can see the spectacular feather detail of a Bald Eagle. In the wild, I usually see them the far side of the Bow River, perched in a distant tree, or flying high. Always a thrill to see them, no matter how many times you've seen them before.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_Eagle

Tags:   Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo nature bird Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Explore interestingness#176 explore2012May4

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