The weather forecast for yesterday was a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. My plan had been to start out early in the morning and be home before any storm could arrive. However, as tends to happen, it was late morning before I finally made it out the front door. I enjoyed seeing the build-up of clouds, but was fortunate that the storm stayed away.
It had been a while since I last drove out to the area I wanted to explore; maybe eight months or so. I was curious as to whether I was going to be able to find a bird that many people had been reporting recently. A species that is rarely seen in Alberta, though I had seen a number of them on a trip to Texas in March 2019. I did also see one at a different location, at Frank Lake,but the extremely distant bird looked the size of a pin head.
My hope was that most people who wanted to see this bird had already been out there. My waiting till later paid off, as there was just one couple there. The bird was far away across on the other side of a pond, but my eyes eventually found it. I noticed two people walking fast towards it and I first thought they were unethical photographers. When I zoomed in, I could see that they were fishermen! The bird was flushed and fortunately flew that much closer to where I was standing, yet still quite a distance away. It was so interesting to watch this bird search every inch of the ground, several times catching a tiny fish. Suddenly, it flew, and I wondered what had spooked it. When I saw a photographer walking back through the trees closest to us, my question was answered. Am I really the only person who is not intent on getting inflight shots, even if the bird has to be flushed in order to get them? Anyway, I was so delighted to get the chance to watch it for a while.
On the way home, I drove the long way through my 'usual" area. I was surprised that I didn't see many birds, not even a Snipe. One Mountain Bluebird was so welcome.
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The weather forecast for yesterday was a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. My plan had been to start out early in the morning and be home before any storm could arrive. However, as tends to happen, it was late morning before I finally made it out the front door. I enjoyed seeing the build-up of clouds, but was fortunate that the storm stayed away.
It had been a while since I last drove out to the area I wanted to explore; maybe eight months or so. I was curious as to whether I was going to be able to find a bird that many people had been reporting recently. A species that is rarely seen in Alberta, though I had seen a number of them on a trip to Texas in March 2019. I did also see one at a different location, at Frank Lake,but the extremely distant bird looked the size of a pin head.
My hope was that most people who wanted to see this bird had already been out there. My waiting till later paid off, as there was just one couple there. The bird was far away across on the other side of a pond, but my eyes eventually found it. I noticed two people walking fast towards it and I first thought they were unethical photographers. When I zoomed in, I could see that they were fishermen! The bird was flushed and fortunately flew that much closer to where I was standing, yet still quite a distance away. It was so interesting to watch this bird search every inch of the ground, several times catching a tiny fish. Suddenly, it flew, and I wondered what had spooked it. When I saw a photographer walking back through the trees closest to us, my question was answered. Am I really the only person who is not intent on getting inflight shots, even if the bird has to be flushed in order to get them? Anyway, I was so delighted to get the chance to watch it for a while.
On the way home, I drove the long way through my 'usual" area. I was surprised that I didn't see many birds, not even a Snipe. One Mountain Bluebird was so welcome.
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The weather forecast for yesterday was a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. My plan had been to start out early in the morning and be home before any storm could arrive. However, as tends to happen, it was late morning before I finally made it out the front door. I enjoyed seeing the build-up of clouds, but was fortunate that the storm stayed away.
It had been a while since I last drove out to the area I wanted to explore; maybe eight months or so. I was curious as to whether I was going to be able to find a bird that many people had been reporting recently. A species that is rarely seen in Alberta, though I had seen a number of them on a trip to Texas in March 2019. I did also see one at a different location, at Frank Lake,but the extremely distant bird looked the size of a pin head.
My hope was that most people who wanted to see this bird had already been out there. My waiting till later paid off, as there was just one couple there. The bird was far away across on the other side of a pond, but my eyes eventually found it. I noticed two people walking fast towards it and I first thought they were unethical photographers. When I zoomed in, I could see that they were fishermen! The bird was flushed and fortunately flew that much closer to where I was standing, yet still quite a distance away. It was so interesting to watch this bird search every inch of the ground, several times catching a tiny fish. Suddenly, it flew, and I wondered what had spooked it. When I saw a photographer walking back through the trees closest to us, my question was answered. Am I really the only person who is not intent on getting inflight shots, even if the bird has to be flushed in order to get them? Anyway, I was so delighted to get the chance to watch it for a while.
On the way home, I drove the long way through my 'usual" area. I was surprised that I didn't see many birds, not even a Snipe. One Mountain Bluebird was so welcome.
Tags: Alberta Canada SW of Calgary
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In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...
This was not one of my 'usual' Mountain Bluebirds, and I was so happy to notice it, perched on a fence post. Managed to take about four rapid shots before a man, walking along a path leading from his property, caused it to fly. This handsome little bird made such a nice ending to my drive.
The weather forecast for yesterday was a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. My plan had been to start out early in the morning and be home before any storm could arrive. However, as tends to happen, it was late morning before I finally made it out the front door. I enjoyed seeing the build-up of clouds, but was fortunate that the storm stayed away.
It had been a while since I last drove out to the area I wanted to explore; maybe eight months or so. I was curious as to whether I was going to be able to find a bird that many people had been reporting recently. A species that is rarely seen in Alberta, though I had seen a number of them on a trip to Texas in March 2019. I did also see one at a different location, at Frank Lake,but the extremely distant bird looked the size of a pin head.
My hope was that most people who wanted to see this bird had already been out there. My waiting till later paid off, as there was just one couple there. The bird was far away across on the other side of a pond, but my eyes eventually found it. I noticed two people walking fast towards it and I first thought they were unethical photographers. When I zoomed in, I could see that they were fishermen! The bird was flushed and fortunately flew that much closer to where I was standing, yet still quite a distance away. It was so interesting to watch this bird search every inch of the ground, several times catching a tiny fish. Suddenly, it flew, and I wondered what had spooked it. When I saw a photographer walking back through the trees closest to us, my question was answered. Am I really the only person who is not intent on getting inflight shots, even if the bird has to be flushed in order to get them? Anyway, I was so delighted to get the chance to watch it for a while.
On the way home, I drove the long way through my 'usual" area. I was surprised that I didn't see many birds, not even a Snipe. One Mountain Bluebird was so welcome.
Tags: Alberta Canada SW of Calgary nature wildlife ornithology avian bird Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides male adult back/side view fluffed-up feathers perched fence post field bokeh outdoor spring 26 May 2021 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2021 © All Rights Reserved
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I love seeing this brightly coloured fungus - not easily noticed when the wood is dry, but after rain or if it is splashed with water,, the fungus swells and turns bright orange. These fruitbodies are brown to red-orange, flat, scattered, 1-2 mm thick, 2-4 mm wide, with a raised edge and wrinkled surface.
The weather forecast for yesterday was a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. My plan had been to start out early in the morning and be home before any storm could arrive. However, as tends to happen, it was late morning before I finally made it out the front door. I enjoyed seeing the build-up of clouds, but was fortunate that the storm stayed away.
It had been a while since I last drove out to the area I wanted to explore; maybe eight months or so. I was curious as to whether I was going to be able to find a bird that many people had been reporting recently. A species that is rarely seen in Alberta, though I had seen a number of them on a trip to Texas in March 2019. I did also see one at a different location, at Frank Lake,but the extremely distant bird looked the size of a pin head.
My hope was that most people who wanted to see this bird had already been out there. My waiting till later paid off, as there was just one couple there. The bird was far away across on the other side of a pond, but my eyes eventually found it. I noticed two people walking fast towards it and I first thought they were unethical photographers. When I zoomed in, I could see that they were fishermen! The bird was flushed and fortunately flew that much closer to where I was standing, yet still quite a distance away. It was so interesting to watch this bird search every inch of the ground, several times catching a tiny fish. Suddenly, it flew, and I wondered what had spooked it. When I saw a photographer walking back through the trees closest to us, my question was answered. Am I really the only person who is not intent on getting inflight shots, even if the bird has to be flushed in order to get them? Anyway, I was so delighted to get the chance to watch it for a while.
On the way home, I drove the long way through my 'usual" area. I was surprised that I didn't see many birds, not even a Snipe. One Mountain Bluebird was so welcome.
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