Tonight, I am posting the last of my photos of the colourful Grad Barn, plus three photos taken on a birding walk this morning, 15 February 2022, at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park.

The 5 km walk this morning had a layer of fresh snow everywhere, covering a treacherous underlayer of ice that had melted, been churned up, and frozen again into a really nasty surface on which to walk. Amazingly, no one actually fell, but there were a few slips, including by me. For all our effort, we only found seven species of bird! The only bird I photographed was a cute little Mountain Chickadee. Not good light in the trees and I should have used a different setting on my camera. More snow falling this evening.

Four days ago, on 11 February 2022, I decided to make the most of a milder day with no fresh snow. I overslept by an hour, which made my day shorter, which was too bad. My plan was to go and find this old Grad Barn again. It's so colourful and I always enjoy seeing it, though it is a long drive. I might just have to go back again later in the year, to see if newly graduated 2022 students have signed their names on the old wood. The first time I found this structure was back in 2016, when I was on a long drive with my daughter.

Each year, the farmer who owns this barn allows the graduating class from the local high school to decorate this old building in any way they wish. A fun idea and it certainly adds a splash of colour. I was absolutely fascinated to read a little bit of history from someone who was a contact of mine on Flickr a few years ago. Her Grandmother was apparently born in this house/barn. It was later converted to a granary and now, of course, has become the canvas for local students.

As well as this barn, I also wanted to see if I could find a Snowy Owl. After driving various roads with no luck, I bumped into a friend who was also looking for Snowies. He had come across one, which he said he accidentally flushed as he hadn't noticed it until it flew across the field. He told me he had also seen a Great Horned Owl in a barn window, and he very kindly described where he had seen it. Needless to say, I went looking and was delighted to find both barn and owl. I zoomed in from the road, so I'm not sure if the owl was asleep. In the short time I was there, the owl didn't shift position at all. This sighting made my day!

The day was very quiet birdwise, other than an occasional Black-billed Magpie. I did come across several barns that I had seen before on previous drives.

© All Rights Reserved

Tonight, I am posting the last of my photos of the colourful Grad Barn, plus three photos taken on a birding walk this morning, 15 February 2022, at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park.

The 5 km walk this morning had a layer of fresh snow everywhere, covering a treacherous underlayer of ice that had melted, been churned up, and frozen again into a really nasty surface on which to walk. Amazingly, no one actually fell, but there were a few slips, including by me. For all our effort, we only found seven species of bird! The only bird I photographed was a cute little Mountain Chickadee. Not good light in the trees and I should have used a different setting on my camera. More snow falling this evening.

Four days ago, on 11 February 2022, I decided to make the most of a milder day with no fresh snow. I overslept by an hour, which made my day shorter, which was too bad. My plan was to go and find this old Grad Barn again. It's so colourful and I always enjoy seeing it, though it is a long drive. I might just have to go back again later in the year, to see if newly graduated 2022 students have signed their names on the old wood. The first time I found this structure was back in 2016, when I was on a long drive with my daughter.

Each year, the farmer who owns this barn allows the graduating class from the local high school to decorate this old building in any way they wish. A fun idea and it certainly adds a splash of colour. I was absolutely fascinated to read a little bit of history from someone who was a contact of mine on Flickr a few years ago. Her Grandmother was apparently born in this house/barn. It was later converted to a granary and now, of course, has become the canvas for local students.

As well as this barn, I also wanted to see if I could find a Snowy Owl. After driving various roads with no luck, I bumped into a friend who was also looking for Snowies. He had come across one, which he said he accidentally flushed as he hadn't noticed it until it flew across the field. He told me he had also seen a Great Horned Owl in a barn window, and he very kindly described where he had seen it. Needless to say, I went looking and was delighted to find both barn and owl. I zoomed in from the road, so I'm not sure if the owl was asleep. In the short time I was there, the owl didn't shift position at all. This sighting made my day!

The day was very quiet birdwise, other than an occasional Black-billed Magpie. I did come across several barns that I had seen before on previous drives.

© All Rights Reserved

Tonight, I am posting the last of my photos of the colourful Grad Barn, plus three photos taken on a birding walk this morning, 15 February 2022, at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park.

The 5 km walk this morning had a layer of fresh snow everywhere, covering a treacherous underlayer of ice that had melted, been churned up, and frozen again into a really nasty surface on which to walk. Amazingly, no one actually fell, but there were a few slips, including by me. For all our effort, we only found seven species of bird! The only bird I photographed was a cute little Mountain Chickadee. Not good light in the trees and I should have used a different setting on my camera. More snow falling this evening.

Four days ago, on 11 February 2022, I decided to make the most of a milder day with no fresh snow. I overslept by an hour, which made my day shorter, which was too bad. My plan was to go and find this old Grad Barn again. It's so colourful and I always enjoy seeing it, though it is a long drive. I might just have to go back again later in the year, to see if newly graduated 2022 students have signed their names on the old wood. The first time I found this structure was back in 2016, when I was on a long drive with my daughter.

Each year, the farmer who owns this barn allows the graduating class from the local high school to decorate this old building in any way they wish. A fun idea and it certainly adds a splash of colour. I was absolutely fascinated to read a little bit of history from someone who was a contact of mine on Flickr a few years ago. Her Grandmother was apparently born in this house/barn. It was later converted to a granary and now, of course, has become the canvas for local students.

As well as this barn, I also wanted to see if I could find a Snowy Owl. After driving various roads with no luck, I bumped into a friend who was also looking for Snowies. He had come across one, which he said he accidentally flushed as he hadn't noticed it until it flew across the field. He told me he had also seen a Great Horned Owl in a barn window, and he very kindly described where he had seen it. Needless to say, I went looking and was delighted to find both barn and owl. I zoomed in from the road, so I'm not sure if the owl was asleep. In the short time I was there, the owl didn't shift position at all. This sighting made my day!

The day was very quiet birdwise, other than an occasional Black-billed Magpie. I did come across several barns that I had seen before on previous drives.

© All Rights Reserved