The Common Ravens that are seen within the city are usually flying high overhead or perched right at the top of very tall trees, and I can't get photos of them. Once one is out in the mountains, these very intelligent birds have learned that where there are people, there is often food. Parking lots and pull-offs have become one of their favourite places to hang out, making it possible to get shots of them.
A couple of these large birds were down on the ground at the Elbow Falls parking area yesterday afternoon. This was the first time I had managed to get out there this year and, really on the spur of the moment, that's where I decided to go yesterday. The weather called for some sun and some cloud, which sounded good. After the two heavy snowfalls on 9 and 10 September, I wasn't sure what to expect before I reached the beginning of the mountains, but every bit of snow had disappeared. The furthest point of my drive was Forgetmenot Pond, one of my favourite places to go. This drive is the only one I will do on my own and it only takes about an hour to get from home to the Pond.
On the return drive, I called in at a place not far from the pond, where I have found a few mushrooms in previous years, and managed to find just a few that were in good enough condition to photograph. Other than that, I didn't see a whole lot during the few hours I was out. The scenery is spectacular and there were patches of trees that have turned yellow. Some of the trees looked as though their leaves were past their fall prime, and I came away wondering if I was a bit too early or a bit too late to see the best of the fall colours. The final place I called in at was Maclean Pond, but the light was fading somewhat and so I didn't feel like going far into the forest. I had just got back into my car when I happened to look up just in time to see a family of beautiful Bluejays not far from the parking lot. Managed to get a few shots, but distant and not as sharp as they should have been. A nice way to end the day, though.
Tags: Alberta Canada W of Calgary Elbow Falls Trail Highway 66 Kananaskis K-Country Elbow Falls parking lot nature ornithology avian bird birds Raven Common Raven Corvus corax Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus passerine Corvid back/side view Explore interestingness#47 explore2014September20 annkelliott Anne Elliott Panasonic DMC-FZ200 FZ200 Lumix point-and-shoot Wildscreen Arkive
© All Rights Reserved
This was a very quick, distant photo and poor quality, unfortunately. Friends Cathy, Terry, and I, watched this cinnamon Black Bear and a black Black Bear that was in the same bushes, for quite some time. These bushes were right at the edge of a pedestrian/bike pathway on one side, and the other side of the bushes was at the lake shore. This was just one quick moment that this bear could be seen properly - the rest of the time both bears were hidden or almost hidden by the berry-laden branches.
This photo was taken on 27 August 2014, the second day of a three-day trip down south. The first two days were spent in Waterton Lakes National Park and on the third day, we did quite a long drive east of the park before heading back to Calgary.
"The cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) is a color phase of the American black bear, native to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, and British Columbia. The most striking difference between a cinnamon bear and any other black bear is its brown or red-brown fur, reminiscent of cinnamon, from which the name is derived.
Cubs weigh approximately 230 grams (8 oz) at birth, with adults weighing between 92.1 and 270 kilograms (203 and 595 lb). The life span for this bear is a maximum of 30 years.
Cinnamon bears are excellent climbers, good runners, and powerful swimmers. They are mostly nocturnal, though sometimes active during daylight hours. The cinnamon and brown bears of this country are simply color phases of the black bear, the blondes and brunettes of the family. The various colors are frequently intermixed in the same family; hence it is a common occurrence to see a black bear female with brown cubs, a brown and a black cub, or even all three colors. The bears hibernate during the winter months, usually from late October or November to March or April depending upon the weather conditions. Their scat resembles that of domestic dogs." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_bear
"Black bears are efficient berry-eaters, consuming up to 30,000 berries a day in a good year. They gather berries quickly, using their sensitive, mobile lips and swallowing them whole. The berries enter a two-part stomach, which grinds the pulp off the seeds. The seeds pass through the digestive tract unbroken and able to germinate, making black bears important seed dispersers. Each summer, they spread the seeds of their favorite berries all over their home ranges."
www.bear.org/website/bear-pages/black-bear/foraging-a-foo...
Tags: Alberta Canada S of Calgary Waterton Lakes National Park Waterton Lake near picnic area nature animal wild wild animal wildlife bear Black Bear American Black Bear Cinnamon Black Bear Ursus americanus native omnivore Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Ursus Conservation Status: Least Concern bushes berries feeding standing upright Subspecies: Ursus americanus cinnamomum Explore explore2014September21 annkelliott Anne Elliott FZ200 Lumix interestingness#
© All Rights Reserved
This was one of several American Robins that were flying from tree to tree around a small pond and sometimes taking a bath at the edge of the pond. They kept me entertained while I watched and waited, hoping to see at least one Beaver. Taken on 14 September 2014, in Fish Creek Park.
"The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family. The American robin is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast. It is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. According to some sources, the American robin ranks behind only the red-winged blackbird (and just ahead of the introduced European starling and the not-always-naturally occurring house finch) as the most abundant, extant land bird in North America." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_robin
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/id
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Fish Creek Park nature ornithology avian bird birds Robin American Robin Turdus migratorius Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae Genus: Turdus Thrush migratory songbird bathing pond water Explore explore2014September21 annkelliott Anne Elliott FZ200 Lumix interestingness#
© All Rights Reserved
This is not one of the wild Burrowing Owls that friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, saw in southern Alberta on 28 August 2014. It was part of an exhibit from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre that was being held in a park to the west of Calgary, on 20 July 2014. Though I was able to get a much closer shot, the light was not good, and I gave up trying to get the colouring right last night. Only once did this little owl turn its head to look forward, the rest of the time it was turning its head from side to side, non-stop. They really are the cutest little things : )
""As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com.
burrowingowl.com/visit/index.php
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl
On 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before. I had been that route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my youngest daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see this display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.
This year, there were not quite as many birds, but it was great to see any at all. There was this Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, a Great Horned Owl, and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone.
This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley. After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake, but didn't walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail and did a slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at and photograph a few different wildflowers and butterflies. Though slow, it was still further than I should have walked, ha. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including the various Orchid species, but there were still plenty of other species to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day.
Tags: Alberta Canada W of Calgary Bow Valley Provincial Park exhibit from Coaldale Birds Of Prey Centre ornithology bird birds avian bird of prey owl Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia nature close-up Family: Strigidae Genus: Athene ENDANGERED Explore interestingness# explore2014September21 annkelliott Anne Elliott FZ200 Lumix
© All Rights Reserved
A not too inspiring photo, but wanted to post it to mark the season that starts the day after tomorrow, 23 September 2014. Yesterday afternoon, I did a short drive SW of the city, in search of some fall colours. This particular road seems to be where I often find the "best" splash of colour. Even so, it was a little disappointing here, too. I'm finding that the best of the colour is over in most of the places I've been. In the distance, you can just make out the dark ribbon of road that follows the undulating hills. A very faint mountain peak is on the horizon.
We are having beautiful weather at the moment, with bright sunshine and bright blue skies. It's 10°C this morning, but it's supposed to get up to 24°C this afternoon. So far, it looks like we have a pleasant week coming up, too. Sure beats the two back-to-back snowstorms we had on 9 and 10 September! City streets are still lined with piles of broken tree limbs that have been removed from the thousands of trees damaged by the snowstorms that have been cut down, waiting to be removed. What a huge task this is going to be!
Tags: Alberta Canada SW of Calgary backroad nature scenery landscape seasons 3 days before fall autumn road trees deciduous colourful yellow orange gold leaves fall colours Explore interestingness# explore2014September22 annkelliott Anne Elliott FZ200 Lumix
© All Rights Reserved