Thursday, 6 October 2022: temperature at 8:30 am is 2°C (windchill -1°C!). Sunrise is at 7:44 am and sunset is at 7:03 pm. Another sunny day.
Again, a few more odds and ends. I will add the description that I wrote under previously posted images taken on the same days, as it means less use of my right arm, which has damage to the shoulder rotator cuff, apparently. Have to make an appointment for an ultrasound to check how much damage was done. Had a doctor's appointment a few mornings ago as a follow-up to my trip and fall accident on 12 September. My broken nose seems to be healing well, but I have a huge, really painful hematoma on the right side of my chest, which can take months to heal. Holy smokes, I had to take a taxi as I am not driving yet, which cost $102 for the round trip!
"This photo was taken on 15 June 2016, when I went for a short drive SW of the city. I really do need to go to a few different areas, to see different bird species, but my most recent drives have been mainly to check on three different pairs of Mountain Bluebirds, and to see at least one of the usual Wilson's Snipes. On this trip, I saw all the usual things, knowing that before too long, all of them will have left on their long, long journeys.
"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
"Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe
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