Thought I would take a quick break from posting photos recently taken in Waterton Lakes National Park and, instead, add three photos taken yesterday, east of the city. (Adding for my own record - the Western Kingbird photo I posted today is my main photo, i.e., the very last photo uploaded. If you see this wetland scenic shot as my main image, then Flickr is playing tricks again, as it has done several times recently!).

Just had this reply on the Help Forum:

"For Your contacts that look at Your photostream the order of the photos depends on which order they choose. If they choose "date taken" they will see the photos in this order and not in the order "date uploaded". I didn't know you could change the order view on someone's else's photos.

Yesterday, 28 June 2015, a large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. This photo shows just a part of the wetland, but gives an idea of what we saw. The temperature yesterday was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven.

We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki.

1. Canada Goose-7
2. Gadwall-150
3. Am. Wigeon-22
4. Mallard-7
5. Blue-winged Teal-150
6. Cinnamon Teal-30
7. Northern Shoveler-55
8. Northern Pintail-4
9. Green-winged Teal-5
10. Canvasback-1
11. Redhead-2
12. Lesser Scaup-24
13. Bufflehead-4
14. Ruddy Duck-1 f.
15. Am. White Pelican-1
16. Great Blue Heron-1
17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1
18. White-faced Ibis-22
19. Swainson’s Hawk-3
20, Red-tailed Hawk-2
21. American Coot-1
22. Killdeer-26
23. Black-necked Stilt-25
24. American Avocet-85
25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants.
26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “
27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “
28. Willet-8
29. Marbled Godwit-10
30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “
31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26
32. Franklin’s Gull-800
33. Ring-billed Gull-3
34. California Gull-1
35. Forster’s Tern-2
36. Black Tern-2
37. Mourning Dove-3
38. Northern Flicker-1
39. Least Flycatcher-2
40. Western Kingbird-2
41. Eastern Kingbird-1
42. Warbling Vireo-1
43. Black-billed Magpie-8
44. Tree Swallow-10
45. Bank Swallow-7
46. Barn Swallow-2
47. House Wren-2
48. American Robin-10
49. European Starling-40
50. Yellow Warbler-2
51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1
52. Red-winged Blackbird-40
53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11
54. Common Grackle-12
55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3
56. Baltimore Oriole-2
57. House Sparrow-40

Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary Lyn's property near Eagle Lake nature landscape scenery hills fields farm trees cattle cows wetland lake water many birds sandbar summer 28 June 2015 FZ200 outdoor rural rural scene countryside

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Thought I would take a quick break from posting photos recently taken in Waterton Lakes National Park and, instead, add three photos taken yesterday, east of the city. (Adding for my own record - this Kingbird photo is my main photo today, i.e., the very last photo uploaded. If you see the wetland scenic shot as my main image, then Flickr is playing tricks again, as it has done several times recently!).

Just had this reply on the Help Forum:

"For Your contacts that look at Your photostream the order of the photos depends on which order they choose. If they choose "date taken" they will see the photos in this order and not in the order "date uploaded". I didn't know you could change the order view on someone's else's photos.

"An eye-catching bird with ashy gray and lemon-yellow plumage, the Western Kingbird is a familiar summertime sight in open habitats across western North America. This large flycatcher sallies out to capture flying insects from conspicuous perches on trees or utility lines, flashing a black tail with white edges. Western Kingbirds are aggressive and will scold and chase intruders (including Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels) with a snapping bill and flared crimson feathers they normally keep hidden under their gray crowns." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Kingbird/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_kingbird

I remember seeing a very distant Western Kingbird quite a few years ago, but wasn't able to get a shot of it. Then, last July, I saw one in the Frank Lake area and managed to get a very poor photo. Yesterday, I was lucky to see a pair of these birds and this one sat for a second or two on an open branch. In and around Calgary, we get the Eastern Kingbird.

A large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. The temperature yesterday was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven.

We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki.

1. Canada Goose-7
2. Gadwall-150
3. Am. Wigeon-22
4. Mallard-7
5. Blue-winged Teal-150
6. Cinnamon Teal-30
7. Northern Shoveler-55
8. Northern Pintail-4
9. Green-winged Teal-5
10. Canvasback-1
11. Redhead-2
12. Lesser Scaup-24
13. Bufflehead-4
14. Ruddy Duck-1 f.
15. Am. White Pelican-1
16. Great Blue Heron-1
17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1
18. White-faced Ibis-22
19. Swainson’s Hawk-3
20, Red-tailed Hawk-2
21. American Coot-1
22. Killdeer-26
23. Black-necked Stilt-25
24. American Avocet-85
25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants.
26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “
27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “
28. Willet-8
29. Marbled Godwit-10
30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “
31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26
32. Franklin’s Gull-800
33. Ring-billed Gull-3
34. California Gull-1
35. Forster’s Tern-2
36. Black Tern-2
37. Mourning Dove-3
38. Northern Flicker-1
39. Least Flycatcher-2
40. Western Kingbird-2
41. Eastern Kingbird-1
42. Warbling Vireo-1
43. Black-billed Magpie-8
44. Tree Swallow-10
45. Bank Swallow-7
46. Barn Swallow-2
47. House Wren-2
48. American Robin-10
49. European Starling-40
50. Yellow Warbler-2
51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1
52. Red-winged Blackbird-40
53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11
54. Common Grackle-12
55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3
56. Baltimore Oriole-2
57. House Sparrow-40

Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary Lyn's property near Eagle Lake nature ornithology avian bird Kingbird Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Tyrannidae Tyrannus large Flycatcher aggressive defends territory perched branch front/side view summer 28 June 2015 FZ200

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Thought I would take a quick break from posting photos recently taken in Waterton Lakes National Park and, instead, add three photos taken yesterday, east of the city. (Adding for my own record - the Western Kingbird photo I posted today is my main photo, i.e., the very last photo uploaded. If you see this cat shot as my main image, then Flickr is playing tricks again, as it has done several times recently!).

Just had this reply on the Help Forum:

"For Your contacts that look at Your photostream the order of the photos depends on which order they choose. If they choose "date taken" they will see the photos in this order and not in the order "date uploaded". I didn't know you could change the order view on someone's else's photos.

A large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. The temperature yesterday was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven.

Couldn't resist taking a few photos of Lyn's cat, who was out in the garden "stalking" a dead, dried up animal that looked rather like a baby Ground Squirrel. Not the best light, and my photos came out with a very unpleasant green cast that I couldn't completely get rid of.

We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki.

1. Canada Goose-7
2. Gadwall-150
3. Am. Wigeon-22
4. Mallard-7
5. Blue-winged Teal-150
6. Cinnamon Teal-30
7. Northern Shoveler-55
8. Northern Pintail-4
9. Green-winged Teal-5
10. Canvasback-1
11. Redhead-2
12. Lesser Scaup-24
13. Bufflehead-4
14. Ruddy Duck-1 f.
15. Am. White Pelican-1
16. Great Blue Heron-1
17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1
18. White-faced Ibis-22
19. Swainson’s Hawk-3
20, Red-tailed Hawk-2
21. American Coot-1
22. Killdeer-26
23. Black-necked Stilt-25
24. American Avocet-85
25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants.
26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “
27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “
28. Willet-8
29. Marbled Godwit-10
30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “
31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26
32. Franklin’s Gull-800
33. Ring-billed Gull-3
34. California Gull-1
35. Forster’s Tern-2
36. Black Tern-2
37. Mourning Dove-3
38. Northern Flicker-1
39. Least Flycatcher-2
40. Western Kingbird-2
41. Eastern Kingbird-1
42. Warbling Vireo-1
43. Black-billed Magpie-8
44. Tree Swallow-10
45. Bank Swallow-7
46. Barn Swallow-2
47. House Wren-2
48. American Robin-10
49. European Starling-40
50. Yellow Warbler-2
51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1
52. Red-winged Blackbird-40
53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11
54. Common Grackle-12
55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3
56. Baltimore Oriole-2
57. House Sparrow-40

Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary Lyn's property :Marsland Basin near Eagle Lake animal domesticated pet cat head shot front view close-up portrait summer 28 June 2015 FZ200 cat mammal

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Yesterday, 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. Part of this beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lynn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped.

Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lynn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a Thistle or two, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches.

The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings.

The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger

A report from 2002:

esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-...

After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated!

For a list of the 53 species of bird that were seen yesterday morning, look under the Badger family photo.

flic.kr/p/wygV8B

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary Marsland Basin Lynn Gratz's property nature plant flora flower wildflower Thistle macro close-up outdoor summer 26 July 2015 FZ200 FZ200#3 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2015 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

Yesterday, 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. Part of this beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lyn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped.

Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lyn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a Thistle or two, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches.

The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings.

The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger

A report from 2002:

esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-...

After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated!

For a list of the 53 species of bird that were seen yesterday morning, look under the Badger family photo.

flic.kr/p/wygV8B

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary Marsland Basin Lyn's yard donkey two animal domesticated feeding cute outdoor summer 26 July 2015 FZ200 FZ200#3 annkelliott Anne Elliott

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