Friday, 4 December 2020: our temperature just after noon is PLUS 11C (windchill PLUS 10C). Sunrise is at 8:22 am and sunset is at 4:30 pm. Sunny with a few clouds.
I can't wait for Winter Solstice on 21 December, so that days can at last start to stay light for just a little bit longer. Lousy night vision is so frustrating and limiting! Yesterday, 3 December 2020, I drove NE of the city, hoping to maybe see a Snowy Owl. Knowing that it would take me an hour and three-quarters to get back home, I started the long drive mid-afternoon in order to avoid the blinding sun and the start of it getting dark. No luck finding a Snowy, but I did stop and photograph a number of old barns and other wooden structures, which made for a happy day.
On 1 December 2020, I joined a few friends (all wearing a face mask) for another birding walk at Carburn Park. Though I have seen Long-tailed Ducks before, I hadn't seen the female who has been hanging out at Carburn Park recently. We were in luck. Not the easiest bird to photograph, as she kept diving constantly. A couple of photos were just about fit to post, one of them today.
"Long-tailed Duck – Regular in very small numbers in fall, especially on Glenmore Reservoir; also on the Bow River, e.g. Carseland Weir." From Nature Calgary.
"The breeding habitat of the Long-tailed Duck is in tundra pools and marshes, but also along sea coasts and in large mountain lakes in the North Atlantic region, Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe, and Russia. The nest is located on the ground near water; it is built using vegetation and lined with down. They are migratory and winter along the eastern and western coasts of North America, on the Great Lakes, coastal northern Europe and Asia, with stragglers to the Black Sea. The most important wintering area is the Baltic Sea, where a total of about 4.5 million gather.
The long-tailed duck is gregarious, forming large flocks in winter and during migration. They feed by diving for mollusks, crustaceans and some small fish. Although they usually feed close to the surface, they are capable of diving to depths of 60 m (200 ft). According to the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds they can dive to 80 fathoms (146 meters or 480 feet). They are the only ducks that use their wings to dive, which gives them the ability to dive much deeper than other ducks." From Wikipedia.
One adult Trumpeter Swan and three youngsters are also being seen at Carburn Park and it was nice to see them during this walk. Unfortunately, they were in the shade, though the cygnets were also in the sunlight part of the time. "Trumpeter Swans overwinter on the Bow River. Low numbers of Trumpeters will occasionally spend the winter on the open water here, but not every year. (Tundra Swans overwinter here even less often.)" BirdsCalgary.
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Another 'Christmas' decoration hanging on a tree at Carburn Park. I always love to photograph some of these. I know not all people approve of wild trees being decorated like this, and I must admit that I was a little concerned when I saw a number of Chickadees flying around the tree with a number of things that could entangle.
Friday, 4 December 2020: our temperature just after noon is PLUS 11C (windchill PLUS 10C). Sunrise is at 8:22 am and sunset is at 4:30 pm. Sunny with a few clouds.
I can't wait for Winter Solstice on 21 December, so that days can at last start to stay light for just a little bit longer. Lousy night vision is so frustrating and limiting! Yesterday, 3 December 2020, I drove NE of the city, hoping to maybe see a Snowy Owl. Knowing that it would take me an hour and three-quarters to get back home, I started the long drive mid-afternoon in order to avoid the blinding sun and the start of it getting dark. No luck finding a Snowy, but I did stop and photograph a number of old barns and other wooden structures, which made for a happy day.
On 1 December 2020, I joined a few friends (all wearing a face mask) for another birding walk at Carburn Park. Though I have seen Long-tailed Ducks before, I hadn't seen the female who has been hanging out at Carburn Park recently. We were in luck. Not the easiest bird to photograph, as she kept diving constantly. A couple of photos were just about fit to post, one of them today.
"Long-tailed Duck – Regular in very small numbers in fall, especially on Glenmore Reservoir; also on the Bow River, e.g. Carseland Weir." From Nature Calgary.
"The breeding habitat of the Long-tailed Duck is in tundra pools and marshes, but also along sea coasts and in large mountain lakes in the North Atlantic region, Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe, and Russia. The nest is located on the ground near water; it is built using vegetation and lined with down. They are migratory and winter along the eastern and western coasts of North America, on the Great Lakes, coastal northern Europe and Asia, with stragglers to the Black Sea. The most important wintering area is the Baltic Sea, where a total of about 4.5 million gather.
The long-tailed duck is gregarious, forming large flocks in winter and during migration. They feed by diving for mollusks, crustaceans and some small fish. Although they usually feed close to the surface, they are capable of diving to depths of 60 m (200 ft). According to the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds they can dive to 80 fathoms (146 meters or 480 feet). They are the only ducks that use their wings to dive, which gives them the ability to dive much deeper than other ducks." From Wikipedia.
One adult Trumpeter Swan and three youngsters are also being seen at Carburn Park and it was nice to see them during this walk. Unfortunately, they were in the shade, though the cygnets were also in the sunlight part of the time. "Trumpeter Swans overwinter on the Bow River. Low numbers of Trumpeters will occasionally spend the winter on the open water here, but not every year. (Tundra Swans overwinter here even less often.)" BirdsCalgary.
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Friday, 4 December 2020: our temperature just after noon is PLUS 11C (windchill PLUS 10C). Sunrise is at 8:22 am and sunset is at 4:30 pm. Sunny with a few clouds.
I can't wait for Winter Solstice on 21 December, so that days can at last start to stay light for just a little bit longer. Lousy night vision is so frustrating and limiting! Yesterday, 3 December 2020, I drove NE of the city, hoping to maybe see a Snowy Owl. Knowing that it would take me an hour and three-quarters to get back home, I started the long drive mid-afternoon in order to avoid the blinding sun and the start of it getting dark. No luck finding a Snowy, but I did stop and photograph a number of old barns and other wooden structures, which made for a happy day.
On 1 December 2020, I joined a few friends (all wearing a face mask) for another birding walk at Carburn Park. Though I have seen Long-tailed Ducks before, I hadn't seen the female who has been hanging out at Carburn Park recently. We were in luck. Not the easiest bird to photograph, as she kept diving constantly. A couple of photos were just about fit to post, one of them today.
"Long-tailed Duck – Regular in very small numbers in fall, especially on Glenmore Reservoir; also on the Bow River, e.g. Carseland Weir." From Nature Calgary.
"The breeding habitat of the Long-tailed Duck is in tundra pools and marshes, but also along sea coasts and in large mountain lakes in the North Atlantic region, Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe, and Russia. The nest is located on the ground near water; it is built using vegetation and lined with down. They are migratory and winter along the eastern and western coasts of North America, on the Great Lakes, coastal northern Europe and Asia, with stragglers to the Black Sea. The most important wintering area is the Baltic Sea, where a total of about 4.5 million gather.
The long-tailed duck is gregarious, forming large flocks in winter and during migration. They feed by diving for mollusks, crustaceans and some small fish. Although they usually feed close to the surface, they are capable of diving to depths of 60 m (200 ft). According to the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds they can dive to 80 fathoms (146 meters or 480 feet). They are the only ducks that use their wings to dive, which gives them the ability to dive much deeper than other ducks." From Wikipedia.
One adult Trumpeter Swan and three youngsters are also being seen at Carburn Park and it was nice to see them during this walk. Unfortunately, they were in the shade, though the cygnets were also in the sunlight part of the time. "Trumpeter Swans overwinter on the Bow River. Low numbers of Trumpeters will occasionally spend the winter on the open water here, but not every year. (Tundra Swans overwinter here even less often.)" BirdsCalgary.
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Friday, 4 December 2020: our temperature just after noon is PLUS 11C (windchill PLUS 10C). Sunrise is at 8:22 am and sunset is at 4:30 pm. Sunny with a few clouds.
I can't wait for Winter Solstice on 21 December, so that days can at last start to stay light for just a little bit longer. Lousy night vision is so frustrating and limiting! Yesterday, 3 December 2020, I drove NE of the city, hoping to maybe see a Snowy Owl. Knowing that it would take me an hour and three-quarters to get back home, I started the long drive mid-afternoon in order to avoid the blinding sun and the start of it getting dark. No luck finding a Snowy, but I did stop and photograph a number of old barns and other wooden structures, which made for a happy day.
On 1 December 2020, I joined a few friends (all wearing a face mask) for another birding walk at Carburn Park. Though I have seen Long-tailed Ducks before, I hadn't seen the female who has been hanging out at Carburn Park recently. We were in luck. Not the easiest bird to photograph, as she kept diving constantly. A couple of photos were just about fit to post, one of them today.
"Long-tailed Duck – Regular in very small numbers in fall, especially on Glenmore Reservoir; also on the Bow River, e.g. Carseland Weir." From Nature Calgary.
"The breeding habitat of the Long-tailed Duck is in tundra pools and marshes, but also along sea coasts and in large mountain lakes in the North Atlantic region, Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe, and Russia. The nest is located on the ground near water; it is built using vegetation and lined with down. They are migratory and winter along the eastern and western coasts of North America, on the Great Lakes, coastal northern Europe and Asia, with stragglers to the Black Sea. The most important wintering area is the Baltic Sea, where a total of about 4.5 million gather.
The long-tailed duck is gregarious, forming large flocks in winter and during migration. They feed by diving for mollusks, crustaceans and some small fish. Although they usually feed close to the surface, they are capable of diving to depths of 60 m (200 ft). According to the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds they can dive to 80 fathoms (146 meters or 480 feet). They are the only ducks that use their wings to dive, which gives them the ability to dive much deeper than other ducks." From Wikipedia.
One adult Trumpeter Swan and three youngsters are also being seen at Carburn Park and it was nice to see them during this walk. Unfortunately, they were in the shade, though the cygnets were also in the sunlight part of the time. "Trumpeter Swans overwinter on the Bow River. Low numbers of Trumpeters will occasionally spend the winter on the open water here, but not every year. (Tundra Swans overwinter here even less often.)" BirdsCalgary.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Carburn Park
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Friday, 4 December 2020: our temperature just after noon is PLUS 11C (windchill PLUS 10C). Sunrise is at 8:22 am and sunset is at 4:30 pm. Sunny with a few clouds.
I can't wait for Winter Solstice on 21 December, so that days can at last start to stay light for just a little bit longer. Lousy night vision is so frustrating and limiting! Yesterday, 3 December 2020, I drove NE of the city, hoping to maybe see a Snowy Owl. Knowing that it would take me an hour and three-quarters to get back home, I started the long drive mid-afternoon in order to avoid the blinding sun and the start of it getting dark. No luck finding a Snowy, but I did stop and photograph a number of old barns and other wooden structures, which made for a happy day. Enjoy these mild days, because you know what is coming again soon!
On 1 December 2020, I joined a few friends (all wearing a face mask) for another birding walk at Carburn Park. Though I have seen Long-tailed Ducks before, I hadn't seen the female who has been hanging out at Carburn Park recently. We were in luck. Not the easiest bird to photograph, as she kept diving constantly. A couple of photos were just about fit to post, one of them today.
"Long-tailed Duck – Regular in very small numbers in fall, especially on Glenmore Reservoir; also on the Bow River, e.g. Carseland Weir." From Nature Calgary.
One adult Trumpeter Swan and three youngsters are being seen at Carburn Park and it was nice to see them during this walk. Unfortunately, they were in the shade, though the cygnets were also in the sunlight part of the time. "Trumpeter Swans overwinter on the Bow River. Low numbers of Trumpeters will occasionally spend the winter on the open water here, but not every year. (Tundra Swans overwinter here even less often.)" BirdsCalgary.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Carburn Park nature wildlife ornithology avian bird
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