This photo was taken yesterday, 29 December 2019, during the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. The area that my small group of four people, in one car, covered was N of Cochrane and E of Highway 22, very roughly across from the Water Valley area. Though the word 'Reserve' is in the name, this count was like most others, driving all the country backroads and calling in at several farms/ranches.
One of my absolute favourite things to photograph on this annual Count are the Llamas at one of the farms. This farmer had about eight of these large, amusing animals, and they are always one of the highlights of this Count for me. However, when we called in yesterday, we were told that some had died and only three were left. Only one of them was in a place where I could get a photo - the other two were busy feeding with the cows. Most of the animals were given to the farmer by other farmers who no longer wanted them. I think the first time I photographed the Llamas at this farm was on 30 December 2007.
Another of my favourite farms to stop at belongs to a young, hard-working family. They have an Anatolian Shepherd which is an amazing dog with the owner's young children. These enthusiastic landowners work so hard in the area of native plants, growing various species in their greenhouses. Steven Tannas was excited to show us some of his new additions, too - pigs and sheep. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see pigs that were covered in curly hair! These pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - some are Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and others are Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). They are fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, so they eat extremely well. There were a number of piglets, too, but old enough to have lost their stripes. Unfortunately, the family was not home when we stopped by this year.
Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:
www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html
www.tannasenvironmental.com/
www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm
A nearby farm, which is also included in our area, has two beautiful old, red barns and I was longing to see these again. I always hope that someone will be home, so that I can ask permission to get out of the car and take a few photos. We were in luck yesterday and the owners were happy enough to let me photograph their two barns. I think one was built in the 1930s and the other in the 1940s. The oldest one was a hog barn and the larger, closer one was a dairy barn. Have to remember that this IS a bird count, not a barn count, so I feel very lucky to get any photos of any barns : )
The weather was beautiful, with the temperature between -1C and 3C, and no wind. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground.
A huge thank-you to the various landowners who were kind enough to allow us to wander round their farmyards. These visits make our day so much more interesting and rewarding! So many delightful people. One of our stops is especially welcoming each year - with coffee and cookies ready waiting, not to mention the use of a washroom, which is always greatly appreciated,
Thank you, Jim, for being willing to drive the four of us all day. Without drivers, these counts just would not be able to take place, so it is appreciated so much. Glad your car only ended half way in a ditch on this count, unlike the experience we had on the High River Count a few days ago : )
© All Rights Reserved
This photo was taken yesterday, 29 December 2019, during the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. The area that my small group of four people, in one car, covered was N of Cochrane and E of Highway 22, very roughly across from the Water Valley area. Though the word 'Reserve' is in the name, this count was like most others, driving all the country backroads and calling in at several farms/ranches.
One of my absolute favourite things to photograph on this annual Count are the Llamas at one of the farms. This farmer had about eight of these large, amusing animals, and they are always one of the highlights of this Count for me. However, when we called in yesterday, we were told that some had died and only three were left. Only one of them was in a place where I could get a photo - the other two were busy feeding with the cows. Most of the animals were given to the farmer by other farmers who no longer wanted them. I think the first time I photographed the Llamas at this farm was on 30 December 2007.
Another of my favourite farms to stop at belongs to a young, hard-working family. They have an Anatolian Shepherd which is an amazing dog with the owner's young children. These enthusiastic landowners work so hard in the area of native plants, growing various species in their greenhouses. Steven Tannas was excited to show us some of his new additions, too - pigs and sheep. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see pigs that were covered in curly hair! These pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - some are Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and others are Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). They are fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, so they eat extremely well. There were a number of piglets, too, but old enough to have lost their stripes. Unfortunately, the family was not home when we stopped by this year.
Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:
www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html
www.tannasenvironmental.com/
www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm
A nearby farm, which is also included in our area, has two beautiful old, red barns and I was longing to see these again. I always hope that someone will be home, so that I can ask permission to get out of the car and take a few photos. We were in luck yesterday and the owners were happy enough to let me photograph their two barns. I think one was built in the 1930s and the other in the 1940s. The oldest one was a hog barn and the larger, closer one was a dairy barn. Have to remember that this IS a bird count, not a barn count, so I feel very lucky to get any photos of any barns : )
The weather was beautiful, with the temperature between -1C and 3C, and no wind. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground.
A huge thank-you to the various landowners who were kind enough to allow us to wander round their farmyards. These visits make our day so much more interesting and rewarding! So many delightful people. One of our stops is especially welcoming each year - with coffee and cookies ready waiting, not to mention the use of a washroom, which is always greatly appreciated,
Thank you, Jim, for being willing to drive the four of us all day. Without drivers, these counts just would not be able to take place, so it is appreciated so much. Glad your car only ended half way in a ditch on this count, unlike the experience we had on the High River Count a few days ago : )
© All Rights Reserved
This photo was taken yesterday, 29 December 2019, during the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. The area that my small group of four people, in one car, covered was N of Cochrane and E of Highway 22, very roughly across from the Water Valley area. Though the word 'Reserve' is in the name, this count was like most others, driving all the country backroads and calling in at several farms/ranches.
One of my absolute favourite things to photograph on this annual Count are the Llamas at one of the farms. This farmer had about eight of these large, amusing animals, and they are always one of the highlights of this Count for me. However, when we called in yesterday, we were told that some had died and only three were left. Only one of them was in a place where I could get a photo - the other two were busy feeding with the cows. Most of the animals were given to the farmer by other farmers who no longer wanted them. I think the first time I photographed the Llamas at this farm was on 30 December 2007.
Another of my favourite farms to stop at belongs to a young, hard-working family. They have an Anatolian Shepherd which is an amazing dog with the owner's young children. These enthusiastic landowners work so hard in the area of native plants, growing various species in their greenhouses. Steven Tannas was excited to show us some of his new additions, too - pigs and sheep. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see pigs that were covered in curly hair! These pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - some are Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and others are Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). They are fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, so they eat extremely well. There were a number of piglets, too, but old enough to have lost their stripes. Unfortunately, the family was not home when we stopped by this year.
Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:
www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html
www.tannasenvironmental.com/
www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm
A nearby farm, which is also included in our area, has two beautiful old, red barns and I was longing to see these again. I always hope that someone will be home, so that I can ask permission to get out of the car and take a few photos. We were in luck yesterday and the owners were happy enough to let me photograph their two barns. I think one was built in the 1930s and the other in the 1940s. The oldest one was a hog barn and the larger, closer one was a dairy barn. Have to remember that this IS a bird count, not a barn count, so I feel very lucky to get any photos of any barns : )
The weather was beautiful, with the temperature between -1C and 3C, and no wind. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground.
A huge thank-you to the various landowners who were kind enough to allow us to wander round their farmyards. These visits make our day so much more interesting and rewarding! So many delightful people. One of our stops is especially welcoming each year - with coffee and cookies ready waiting, not to mention the use of a washroom, which is always greatly appreciated,
Thank you, Jim, for being willing to drive the four of us all day. Without drivers, these counts just would not be able to take place, so it is appreciated so much. Glad your car only ended half way in a ditch on this count, unlike the experience we had on the High River Count a few days ago : )
© All Rights Reserved
This photo was taken yesterday, 29 December 2019, during the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. The area that my small group of four people, in one car, covered was N of Cochrane and E of Highway 22, very roughly across from the Water Valley area. Though the word 'Reserve' is in the name, this count was like most others, driving all the country backroads and calling in at several farms/ranches.
One of my absolute favourite things to photograph on this annual Count are the Llamas at one of the farms. This farmer had about eight of these large, amusing animals, and they are always one of the highlights of this Count for me. However, when we called in yesterday, we were told that some had died and only three were left. Only one of them was in a place where I could get a photo - the other two were busy feeding with the cows. Most of the animals were given to the farmer by other farmers who no longer wanted them. I think the first time I photographed the Llamas at this farm was on 30 December 2007.
Another of my favourite farms to stop at belongs to a young, hard-working family. They have an Anatolian Shepherd which is an amazing dog with the owner's young children. These enthusiastic landowners work so hard in the area of native plants, growing various species in their greenhouses. Steven Tannas was excited to show us some of his new additions, too - pigs and sheep. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see pigs that were covered in curly hair! These pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - some are Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and others are Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). They are fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, so they eat extremely well. There were a number of piglets, too, but old enough to have lost their stripes. Unfortunately, the family was not home when we stopped by this year.
Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:
www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html
www.tannasenvironmental.com/
www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm
A nearby farm, which is also included in our area, has two beautiful old, red barns and I was longing to see these again. I always hope that someone will be home, so that I can ask permission to get out of the car and take a few photos. We were in luck yesterday and the owners were happy enough to let me photograph their two barns. I think one was built in the 1930s and the other in the 1940s. The oldest one was a hog barn and the larger, closer one was a dairy barn. Have to remember that this IS a bird count, not a barn count, so I feel very lucky to get any photos of any barns : )
The weather was beautiful, with the temperature between -1C and 3C, and no wind. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground.
A huge thank-you to the various landowners who were kind enough to allow us to wander round their farmyards. These visits make our day so much more interesting and rewarding! So many delightful people. One of our stops is especially welcoming each year - with coffee and cookies ready waiting, not to mention the use of a washroom, which is always greatly appreciated,
Thank you, Jim, for being willing to drive the four of us all day. Without drivers, these counts just would not be able to take place, so it is appreciated so much. Glad your car only ended half way in a ditch on this count, unlike the experience we had on the High River Count a few days ago : )
Tags: Alberta Canada NW of Calgary N of Cochrane Cochrane Wildlife Reserve annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count nature wildlife bird Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo female side view walking snow grasses outdoor winter 29 December 2019 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2019 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
This photo was taken yesterday, 29 December 2019, during the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. The area that my small group of four people, in one car, covered was N of Cochrane and E of Highway 22, very roughly across from the Water Valley area. Though the word 'Reserve' is in the name, this count was like most others, driving all the country backroads and calling in at several farms/ranches.
One of my absolute favourite things to photograph on this annual Count are the Llamas at one of the farms. This farmer had about eight of these large, amusing animals, and they are always one of the highlights of this Count for me. However, when we called in yesterday, we were told that some had died and only three were left. Only one of them was in a place where I could get a photo - the other two were busy feeding with the cows. Most of the animals were given to the farmer by other farmers who no longer wanted them. I think the first time I photographed the Llamas at this farm was on 30 December 2007.
"Llamas appear to have originated from the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. They migrated to South America and Asia about 3 million years ago. By the end of the last ice age (10,000–12,000 years ago) camelids were extinct in North America. As of 2007, there were over 7 million llamas and alpacas in South America and, due to importation from South America in the late 20th century, there are now over 100,000 llamas and 6,500–7,000 alpacas in the US and Canada." From Wikipedia.
Another of my favourite farms to stop at belongs to a young, hard-working family. They have an Anatolian Shepherd which is an amazing dog with the owner's young children. These enthusiastic landowners work so hard in the area of native plants, growing various species in their greenhouses. Steven Tannas was excited to show us some of his new additions, too - pigs and sheep. I love pigs, but was totally unprepared to see pigs that were covered in curly hair! These pigs are called Mangalitsa pigs (also called Mangalica or Mangalitza) - some are Swallow-bellied Mangalica (black and blonde) and others are Red Mangalica (reddish-brown). They are fed left-over, expired grocery store vegetables, so they eat extremely well. There were a number of piglets, too, but old enough to have lost their stripes. Unfortunately, the family was not home when we stopped by this year.
Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7+ years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves:
www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html
www.tannasenvironmental.com/
www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm
A nearby farm, which is also included in our area, has two beautiful old, red barns and I was longing to see these again. I always hope that someone will be home, so that I can ask permission to get out of the car and take a few photos. We were in luck yesterday and the owners were happy enough to let me photograph their two barns. I think one was built in the 1930s and the other in the 1940s. The oldest one was a hog barn and the larger, closer one was a dairy barn. Have to remember that this IS a bird count, not a barn count, so I feel very lucky to get any photos of any barns : )
The weather was so beautiful, with the temperature not being bitterly cold, and no wind. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground.
A huge thank-you to the various landowners who were kind enough to allow us to wander round their farmyards. These visits make our day so much more interesting and rewarding! So many delightful people. One of our stops is especially welcoming each year - with coffee and cookies ready waiting, not to mention the use of a washroom, which is always greatly appreciated,
Thank you, Jim, for being willing to drive the four of us all day. Without drivers, these counts just would not be able to take place, so it is appreciated so much. Glad your car only ended half way in a ditch on this count, unlike the experience we had on the High River Count a few days ago : )
Tags: Alberta Canada NW of Calgary N of Cochrane Cochrane Wildlife Reserve annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count farm animal Llama domesticated head shot side view male outdoor winter 29 December 2019 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2019 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved