On 24 August 2022, it turned out to be an 11-hour day, driving a total of 483 km. Fortunately, it was not an extremely hot day, thanks to the drop in temperature the last day or two, together with some much-needed rain. Luckily, I was not going to go to the mountains, as you could barely see them through the thick haze (smoke?).

My actual destination was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating or misleading. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken - wild or in captivity. September 2016 was the very first time I was brave enough to do this long drive myself, but I really, really wanted to go. Since then, I have repeated the drive every year except for 2021.

This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too.

Because I knew what a long drive this would be, I drove on highways almost all the time. Just one gravel back road was the exception. As it happened, I almost immediately came across two juvenile Swainson's Hawks perched on adjacent fence posts. They were beautiful birds, showing off the attractive feather patterns on their backs. They just sat there, unconcerned by the presence of my car, and were still there when I left a short while later. You have to love Swainson's juveniles. The yellow in the background is a field in harvest colour. These were just two of several hawks I saw in the wild this day. Of course, I saw all sorts of birds of prey once I reached the Centre. Always fun to have a young Great Horned Owl or a tiny Burrowing Owl perched on ones arm. I asked if they had a Turkey Vulture and they had two, in one of the small cages/enclosures outdoors. These Vultures are so much smaller than I always think they are.

On the way home, I checked to see if I could see a Common Nighthawk and did eventually spot one, on a pole out in a field. Zoomed in and took a handful of identical photos, and posted one just for the record yesterday.

This was definitely a rewarding - and exhausting - day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day! I actually managed to leave home just after 8:00 am and got back a few minutes before 7:00 pm, earlier than I was expecting.

Tags:   Alberta Canada S of Calgary Alberta Birds of Prey Centre rehabilitation centre nature ornithology avian bird bird of prey raptor Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus young video alert vocalize outdoor tethered summer 24 August 2022 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott immature

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Five days after a day trip to the southern prairies, it was out to the mountains the day before yesterday. It might be the winter before I get round to posting the rest of my photos from 9 July.

The sky was blue when I set out that morning, 14 July 2020, and I felt quite hopeful. When I go to Kananaskis, I always go south from the city. I had no idea where I would end up going, but I knew that it wouldn't be as far as I would have liked. As it turned out, I had a few surprises along the way, so it was a real mixed day of photo opportunities - my favourite kind of day. A total drive of 373 kilometres, leaving home just before 8:30 am and arriving back at 6:45 pm. It was weird, as I noticed the gas level meter seemed to stop part way through the day and showed more gas left than I would have expected. It did eventually keep slowly moving, but showed about half a tank of gas left by the end of the day, which I would have thought was too much. Must keep my eye on that! I always worry about running out of gas when I do a long day's drive.

Once I reached Highway 40, my first stop was at Highwood House to pick up a few snacks, Unfortunately, the website was wrong and they were not open on Tuesdays. However, while I was there, I was lucky enough to see a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I'm not sure just how many there were - or maybe it was the same one that returned a few times. I always forget what a loud noise they make. Jan, I'm so glad that your father got this chance. Same with the Pika, even if it was only an extremely distant view.

After stopping to take a few scenic shots along the main highway through Kananaskis, I eventually reached the area where the American Pikas live. Each time I go, I always forget how far this part of the drive is. Once there, I really lucked out after not too long a wait, as the only few photos I took were when one Pika showed itself, but after that, everything slowed down - basically stopped, apart from the occasional distant squeak. There was a good variety of wildflowers to enjoy and photograph - and even one lonely, plain mushroom.

These little Pikas/Rock Rabbits are only 6-9 inches long and are usually seen far away, running backwards and forwards over the scree (talus) slope that they call home. Very occasionally, one happens to come closer, usually for just a quick moment.

"The American Pika is a generalist herbivore. It eats a large variety of green plants, including different kinds of grasses, sedges, thistles and fireweed. Although pikas can meet their water demands from the vegetation they eat, they do drink water if it is available in their environment. Pikas have two different ways of foraging: they directly consume food (feeding) or they cache food in haypiles to use for a food source in the winter (haying). The pika feeds throughout the year while haying is limited to the summer months. Since they do not hibernate, pikas have greater energy demands than other montane mammals. In addition, they also make 13 trips per hour to collect vegetation when haying, up to a little over 100 trips per day." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pika

A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures:

youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg

youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc

After thankfully getting a few photos of a Pika, I continued north till I reached the turn-off to the Kananaskis Lakes and Smith-Dorien Trail. I can only imagine how many people there were at the Lakes, and I never like the crowds there at the best of times. Instead, I went to one of my favourite places, where the view of the spectacular mountain range is so amazing. Just love all the eroded, jagged folds.

Continuing on the same road, I decided to drive as far as Buller Pond for another beautiful mountain view. Also stopped to gaze at the beautiful view at the Moose meadow, though the light was not good for photos. When I looked down closer to my feet, I noticed several Yellow Penstemon flowers. So pretty, and I then remembered seeing them at that location a previous year.

Concerned about my gas level meter, I thought the wisest thing was to head back to the main Kananaskis Highway and head for home. I had no desire to run out of gas if I drove further, just in case the meter was not showing an accurate remaining level.

Another great day, avoiding any close contact with other people. Even if I had seen no wildlife, the scenery alone would have made this drive more than worthwhile. Feel so lucky to live within reach of this whole, nature-filled area.

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Distant Snowy Owl, low light and windy.

Friday, 27 January 2023: our temperature just after noon is -2°C (FEELS LIKE -7°C). Heavy, blowing snow with almost white-out conditions! SO glad that I am lucky enough to be able to stay home. Driving conditions must be grim.

On 25 January 2023, I had no choice but to move my car from the parking lot for a few hours. This was because the parking lot and stalls were going to be cleared of snow and ice. Not that there was much still on the ground except between some of the cars when they were parked. It always becomes treacherous to walk along by the side of my car in the winter months. I don't have permission for street parking, so, for me, the only way to kill these hours was to drive out of the city. Usually, I plan a day's drive, but this time, I really didn't feel like leaving home at all.

The weather was miserable and snow was in the forecast. Not the kind of weather that I drive in, either on the highway or the back roads. The light was poor and it was windy and, as I discovered, one road was quite slippery.

I knew which area I would drive to, keeping my fingers crossed that I might just be lucky enough to find a Snowy Owl. Luck was on my side, when I spotted a female way down one of the roads. This was only the third Snowy I have seen this winter. At first, she was perched on a fence near the road, but was actively looking around her. Then off she flew, disappearing out over a huge field. I made a U-turn and hoped I might just be able to find where she landed. She was so far away, I almost missed her. Thank goodness for zoom! She stayed put for quite a while, shifting position by maybe a foot or two, still on the hunt for prey. I loved this encounter.

Eventually, i returned home, only to find that the parking stalls had not been touched and that the workers had done a really bad job. I thought that they hadn't even been, but apparently they did come. Fortunately, the weather has been mild (for winter), so melting has continued. Back to more snow tonight and tomorrow and colder temperatures.

Tags:   Alberta Canada video nature wildlife avian ornithology bird bird of prey owl Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus female perched post outdoor winter 25 January 2023 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2023 © All Rights Reserved

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Sometimes, you keep filming in the hope that a bird will do something interesting. Sometimes, it just doesn't happen : )

Monday, 24 May 2021: our temperature is PLUS 9C (windchill PLUS 5C) just after noon. Sunrise is at 5:34 am, and sunset is at 9:31 pm. Cloudy, windy, with continuing rain, just like yesterday. Not a day to be out in, at least for me. We definitely need the rain, though.

This morning, I have posted a few more photos taken on 15 May 2021, when I went on a longish drive south of the city. Maybe just a few more left to post from this outing.

On 15 May 2021, I finally did a long drive that I had wanted to do the last few years, but never been brave enough to do it. Parts of the drive I had done before, but there was one destination in particular that was new. So glad I made myself do this, and it was a great day.

Much of the driving was on backroads that had a thick layer of loose, chunky gravel, making driving very unpleasant. It tends to push the wheels towards the side of the road, so one has to concentrate on trying to drive in a straight line. My arms and wrists ached like crazy from gripping the steering wheel for hours.

It looked a good day to go for a long drive to take my mind off all the repair work that has to be done. The forecast looked good, though it made no mention of the haze which made scenic shots useless. It felt so good to see quite a few birds for a change. The highlight of my day was briefly seeing a Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence post. I took a couple of shots, which had to be through my windshield. The hawk put its head down and that is when I realized that it had a snake held in its talons. It took a couple of pecks at the snake while I was watching (and taking a few seconds of video), and then off it flew. I wonder if it had a nest with babies in it nearby.

Another highlight for me, was to come across a beautiful female Merlin, also perched on a fence post. It had been quite a while since I last saw a Merlin.

At the beginning of my drive, I would have liked to call in for breakfast at the Saskatoon Farm, but I knew it would be really busy on a Saturday. Likewise at the end of the day, I would have liked to call in at Frank Lake, but I always try and avoid busy places, even more so on a weekend. Makes no sense when someone has the weekdays in which to visit places like city parks. The latest Covid restrictions (from 20 May 2021) in Alberta include "avoid in-person interactions with people outside your household, especially indoors". Needless to say, some people are totally ignoring this.

I did call in at one of my favourite sloughs on the way home and enjoyed watching quite a few White-faced Ibis feeding and preening. So peaceful in a place with no other cars or people.

Of course, no day would be complete without spotting an old barn or two. These included one of my absolute favourite barns, photographed and posted a couple of other years, too.

Tags:   Alberta Canada S of Calgary video nature wildlife ornithology avian bird falcon bird of prey Merlin Falco columbarius female side view perched fence post field bokeh outdoor spring 15 May 2021 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2021 © All Rights Reserved

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Yesterday, 25 July 2020, I overslept and ended up going for just a short drive SE of the city. Usually, I tend not to go out at the weekend, as I always picture a lot more people, which is not a good thing at the moment. However, it was a pleasant surprise to find that only a few people were there at the same time as me.

Some of the fields were still golden with Canola and it felt so good to simply drive slowly with the window down, soaking up the beauty. Along one of the backroads, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something fly up from the edge of a field. Thinking it might be some kind of hawk, it seemed a rather strange place for it to have been. I stopped to see if I could see anything, but the bird had flown down and disappeared into the crop that was growing. Then I noticed, in my side mirror, a bird standing in the road way behind me and it looked suspiciously like a long-billed Curlew. Could it be?! Yes, to my delight, it could! I slowly opened my car door, hoping the bird wouldn't fly, took a few photos, and then noticed another bird way down the road ahead of me. Not sure if I saw two or three of these beautiful birds, but I suspect the two I was seeing were juveniles. Amazingly, they seemed quite unbothered by my presence.

When I got back into my car, a small insect on my car window caught my eye. It was a Mayfly and of course I had to take a photo of it before helping it to fly away.

Taking my usual way home, I stopped at a wetland and had fun watching juvenile Black Terns calling out for Mom to feed them. While taking a short bit of video of one of them, I had my camera zoomed in and so didn't see Mom fly in with food. Just caught it in the viewfinder while filming.

As usual, an enjoyable time out in the country. My car behaved itself, to my relief. It's important for me to keep testing it, as the warranty runs out in August.

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