Sunday, 21 February 2021: our temperature is PLUS 2C (windchill -3C) shortly after noon. Sunrise is at 7:37 am, and sunset is at 6:03 pm. An overcast morning. Four days of this coming week have snow in the forecast. Just one nice day all week and where will I be? Having a routine dental appointment. Exactly the same thing happened last time I went.

After checking the weather forecast for the next few days, I decided to do a drive N and E of the city yesterday. I knew I would check a few backroads for a Snowy Owl (none were found), but that was not the purpose of my trip, as I have already seen several Snowies this winter, 2020/2021. I wanted to revisit a few old barns that I had seen before and keep my eyes open for any unfamiliar ones, too. The last drive I did out of the city was on 1 February, so almost three weeks ago! Brutally cold, snowy weather, with windchills that dropped to as low as -42C, kept me safely at home. How good it feels to have milder weather now!

One of the locations I wanted to visit again was a ranch with three wonderful, white dairy barns. Two of the barns are very long and quite impressive. The first time I had seen them was in January 2014, when friend, Phil Quinn, took me out for a day drive north of the city. It must have been the worst day of that winter, with blowing snow swirling across some of the roads and a white sky as well as a white ground. Everything was white. The next time I saw them, from a distance, was on 3 November 2020, when I came across them unexpectedly, not realizing just how far I had driven. Unfortunately, a number of the barns seen yesterday were on roads that had just enough traffic on them to make it really difficult to take photos - there was always at least one car right behind me when I wanted to stop.

On my way home late afternoon, I quickly checked a favourite barn, just in case there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the window. I had also photographed an owl there in December 2019 - both times an adult. This made a very nice ending to an enjoyable few hours, far away from crowded city parks.

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This donkey was standing with another donkey near a herd of cattle. Donkeys and Llamas are kept by some farmers and ranchers to protect their cattle against predators, such as coyotes.

Sunday, 21 February 2021: our temperature is PLUS 2C (windchill -3C) shortly after noon. Sunrise is at 7:37 am, and sunset is at 6:03 pm. An overcast morning. Four days of this coming week have snow in the forecast. Just one nice day all week and where will I be? Having a routine dental appointment. Exactly the same thing happened last time I went.

After checking the weather forecast for the next few days, I decided to do a drive N and E of the city yesterday. I knew I would check a few backroads for a Snowy Owl (none were found), but that was not the purpose of my trip, as I have already seen several Snowies this winter, 2020/2021. I wanted to revisit a few old barns that I had seen before and keep my eyes open for any unfamiliar ones, too. The last drive I did out of the city was on 1 February, so almost three weeks ago! Brutally cold, snowy weather, with windchills that dropped to as low as -42C, kept me safely at home. How good it feels to have milder weather now!

One of the locations I wanted to visit again was a ranch with three wonderful, white dairy barns. Two of the barns are very long and quite impressive. The first time I had seen them was in January 2014, when friend, Phil Quinn, took me out for a day drive north of the city. It must have been the worst day of that winter, with blowing snow swirling across some of the roads and a white sky as well as a white ground. Everything was white. The next time I saw them, from a distance, was on 3 November 2020, when I came across them unexpectedly, not realizing just how far I had driven. Unfortunately, a number of the barns seen yesterday were on roads that had just enough traffic on them to make it really difficult to take photos - there was always at least one car right behind me when I wanted to stop.

On my way home late afternoon, I quickly checked a favourite barn, just in case there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the window. I had also photographed an owl there in December 2019 - both times an adult. This made a very nice ending to an enjoyable few hours, far away from crowded city parks.

© All Rights Reserved

Sunday, 21 February 2021: our temperature is PLUS 2C (windchill -3C) shortly after noon. Sunrise is at 7:37 am, and sunset is at 6:03 pm. An overcast morning. Four days of this coming week have snow in the forecast. Just one nice day all week and where will I be? Having a routine dental appointment. Exactly the same thing happened last time I went.

After checking the weather forecast for the next few days, I decided to do a drive N and E of the city yesterday. I knew I would check a few backroads for a Snowy Owl (none were found), but that was not the purpose of my trip, as I have already seen several Snowies this winter, 2020/2021. I wanted to revisit a few old barns that I had seen before and keep my eyes open for any unfamiliar ones, too. The last drive I did out of the city was on 1 February, so almost three weeks ago! Brutally cold, snowy weather, with windchills that dropped to as low as -42C, kept me safely at home. How good it feels to have milder weather now!

One of the locations I wanted to visit again was a ranch with three wonderful, white dairy barns. Two of the barns are very long and quite impressive. The first time I had seen them was in January 2014, when friend, Phil Quinn, took me out for a day drive north of the city. It must have been the worst day of that winter, with blowing snow swirling across some of the roads and a white sky as well as a white ground. Everything was white. The next time I saw them, from a distance, was on 3 November 2020, when I came across them unexpectedly, not realizing just how far I had driven. Unfortunately, a number of the barns seen yesterday were on roads that had just enough traffic on them to make it really difficult to take photos - there was always at least one car right behind me when I wanted to stop.

On my way home late afternoon, I quickly checked a favourite barn, just in case there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the window. I had also photographed an owl there in December 2019 - both times an adult. This made a very nice ending to an enjoyable few hours, far away from crowded city parks.

© All Rights Reserved

Sunday, 21 February 2021: our temperature is PLUS 2C (windchill -3C) shortly after noon. Sunrise is at 7:37 am, and sunset is at 6:03 pm. An overcast morning. Four days of this coming week have snow in the forecast. Just one nice day all week and where will I be? Having a routine dental appointment. Exactly the same thing happened last time I went.

After checking the weather forecast for the next few days, I decided to do a drive N and E of the city yesterday. I knew I would check a few backroads for a Snowy Owl (none were found), but that was not the purpose of my trip, as I have already seen several Snowies this winter, 2020/2021. I wanted to revisit a few old barns that I had seen before and keep my eyes open for any unfamiliar ones, too. The last drive I did out of the city was on 1 February, so almost three weeks ago! Brutally cold, snowy weather, with windchills that dropped to as low as -42C, kept me safely at home. How good it feels to have milder weather now!

One of the locations I wanted to visit again was a ranch with three wonderful, white dairy barns. Two of the barns are very long and quite impressive. The first time I had seen them was in January 2014, when friend, Phil Quinn, took me out for a day drive north of the city. It must have been the worst day of that winter, with blowing snow swirling across some of the roads and a white sky as well as a white ground. Everything was white. The next time I saw them, from a distance, was on 3 November 2020, when I came across them unexpectedly, not realizing just how far I had driven. Unfortunately, a number of the barns seen yesterday were on roads that had just enough traffic on them to make it really difficult to take photos - there was always at least one car right behind me when I wanted to stop.

On my way home late afternoon, I quickly checked a favourite barn, just in case there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the window. I had also photographed an owl there in December 2019 - both times an adult. This made a very nice ending to an enjoyable few hours, far away from crowded city parks.

© All Rights Reserved

Sunday, 21 February 2021: our temperature is PLUS 2C (windchill -3C) shortly after noon. Sunrise is at 7:37 am, and sunset is at 6:03 pm. An overcast morning. Four days of this coming week have snow in the forecast. Just one nice day all week and where will I be? Having a routine dental appointment. Exactly the same thing happened last time I went.

After checking the weather forecast for the next few days, I decided to do a drive N and E of the city yesterday. I knew I would check a few backroads for a Snowy Owl (none were found), but that was not the purpose of my trip, as I have already seen several Snowies this winter, 2020/2021. I wanted to revisit a few old barns that I had seen before and keep my eyes open for any unfamiliar ones, too. The last drive I did out of the city was on 1 February, so almost three weeks ago! Brutally cold, snowy weather, with windchills that dropped to as low as -42C, kept me safely at home. How good it feels to have milder weather now!

One of the locations I wanted to visit again was a ranch with three wonderful, white dairy barns. Two of the barns are very long and quite impressive. The first time I had seen them was in January 2014, when friend, Phil Quinn, took me out for a day drive north of the city. It must have been the worst day of that winter, with blowing snow swirling across some of the roads and a white sky as well as a white ground. Everything was white. The next time I saw them, from a distance, was on 3 November 2020, when I came across them unexpectedly, not realizing just how far I had driven. Unfortunately, a number of the barns seen yesterday were on roads that had just enough traffic on them to make it really difficult to take photos - there was always at least one car right behind me when I wanted to stop.

On my way home late afternoon, I quickly checked a favourite barn, just in case there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the window. I had also photographed an owl there in December 2019 - both times an adult. This made a very nice ending to an enjoyable few hours, far away from crowded city parks.

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary nature wildlife avian ornithology bird bird of prey owl Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus adult sleepy perched barn old red wood window outdoor winter 20 February 2021 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2021 © All Rights Reserved

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