Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild here - to me, they always look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Today, 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water, with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them, so that you can hear the constant sound.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The boardwalk is under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing. The few people who were there today were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - but the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, when I first arrived at Frank Lake, I thought I had found it, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes. Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

My original plan was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary Frank Lake nature wildlife avian ornithology bird American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos gathering group several standing water lake gulls California Gull outdoor summer 22 June 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

This photo couldn't be much worse, but I wanted to add it to my albums, for the record. This was a RARE sighting in Alberta and I feel lucky to have seen it (from oh, so far away!). I have added a much closer photo of a Great Egret in a comment box below. It was taken on 28 March 2019, at the Sabal Palm Sanctuary, South Texas.

Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild here - to me, they always look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Today, 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water, with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them, so that you can hear the constant sound.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The boardwalk is under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing. The few people who were there today were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - but the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, I thought I had found it when I first arrived at Frank Lake, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes (?). Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

My original plan was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

Tags:   bird RARE in Alberta Great Egret very distant poor quality image for ID purposes

© All Rights Reserved

Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild here - to me, they always look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Today, 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water, with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them, so that you can hear the constant sound.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The boardwalk is under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing. The few people who were there today were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - but the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, I thought I had found it when I first arrived at Frank Lake, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes (?). Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

My original plan was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary Frank Lake nature wildlife avian ornithology bird Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris adult back/side view singing perched Cattail outdoor summer 22 June 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild here - to me, they always look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Today, 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water, with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them, so that you can hear the constant sound.

It was so cute while watching these Gulls. I saw one adult who seemed to have two of her babies already up on the grass. Another baby was trying to climb up from the water and couldn't quite make it. Mom to the rescue - she grabbed the baby by the scruff of the neck and pulled it up to join its siblings.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The boardwalk is under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing. The few people who were there today were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - but the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, I thought I had found it when I first arrived at Frank Lake, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes (?). Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

My original plan was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary Frank Lake video nature wildlife avian ornithology bird American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos gathering group several standing water lake gulls California Gull sound noise noisy gulls outdoor summer 22 June 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild here - to me, they always look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Today, 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water, with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them, so that you can hear the constant sound.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The boardwalk is under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing. The few people who were there today were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - but the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, I thought I had found it when I first arrived at Frank Lake, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes (?). Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

My original plan was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

© All Rights Reserved