Yesterday, 24 August 2022, turned out to be an 11-hour day, driving a total of 483 km. Fortunately, it was not an extremely hot day, thanks to the drop in temperature the last day or two, together with some much-needed rain. Luckily, I was not going to go to the mountains, as you could barely see them through the thick haze (smoke?).
My actual destination was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken - wild or in captivity. September 2016 was the very first time I was brave enough to do this long drive myself, but I really, really wanted to go. Since then, I have repeated the drive every year except for 2021.
This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too.
Because I knew what a long drive this would be, I drove on highways almost all the time. Just one gravel back road was the exception. As it happened, I almost immediately came across two juvenile Swainson's Hawks perched on adjacent fence posts. They were beautiful birds, showing off the attractive feather patterns on their backs. They just sat there, unconcerned by the presence of my car, and were still there when I left a short while later. You have to love Swainson's juveniles. These were just two of several hawks I saw in the wild this day. Of course, I saw all sorts of birds of prey once I reached the Centre. Always fun to have a young Great Horned Owl or a tiny Burrowing Owl perched on ones arm. I asked if they had a Turkey Vulture and they had two, in one of the small cages/enclosures outdoors. These Vultures are so much smaller than I always think they are.
On the way home, I checked to see if I could see a Common Nighthawk and did eventually spot one, on a pole out in a field. Zoomed in and took a handful of identical photos, and have posted one just for the record.
This was definitely a rewarding - and exhausting - day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day! I actually managed to leave home just after 8:00 am and got back a few minutes before 7:00 pm, earlier than I was expecting.
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta near Lethbridge Coaldale Alberta Birds of Prey Centre wildlife rehabilitation captive nature ornithology avian bird birds Vulture Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura front/side view a face only a mother could love outdoor enclosure/cage outdoor summer 24 August 2022 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2022 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
Yesterday, 24 August 2022, turned out to be an 11-hour day, driving a total of 483 km. Fortunately, it was not an extremely hot day, thanks to the drop in temperature the last day or two, together with some much-needed rain. Luckily, I was not going to go to the mountains, as you could barely see them through the thick haze (smoke?).
My actual destination was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken - wild or in captivity. September 2016 was the very first time I was brave enough to do this long drive myself, but I really, really wanted to go. Since then, I have repeated the drive every year except for 2021.
This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too.
Because I knew what a long drive this would be, I drove on highways almost all the time. Just one gravel back road was the exception. As it happened, I almost immediately came across two juvenile Swainson's Hawks perched on adjacent fence posts. They were beautiful birds, showing off the attractive feather patterns on their backs. They just sat there, unconcerned by the presence of my car, and were still there when I left a short while later. You have to love Swainson's juveniles. These were just two of several hawks I saw in the wild this day. Of course, I saw all sorts of birds of prey once I reached the Centre. Always fun to have a young Great Horned Owl or a tiny Burrowing Owl perched on ones arm. I asked if they had a Turkey Vulture and they had two, in one of the small cages/enclosures outdoors. These Vultures are so much smaller than I always think they are.
On the way home, I checked to see if I could see a Common Nighthawk and did eventually spot one, on a pole out in a field. Zoomed in and took a handful of identical photos, and have posted one just for the record.
This was definitely a rewarding - and exhausting - day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day! I actually managed to leave home just after 8:00 am and got back a few minutes before 7:00 pm, earlier than I was expecting.
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta near Lethbridge Coaldale Alberta Birds of Prey Centre nature plant flower pink Echinacea insect outdoor summer 24 August 2022 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2022 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
Yesterday, 24 August 2022, turned out to be an 11-hour day, driving a total of 483 km. Fortunately, it was not an extremely hot day, thanks to the drop in temperature the last day or two, together with some much-needed rain. Luckily, I was not going to go to the mountains, as you could barely see them through the thick haze (smoke?).
My actual destination was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating or misleading. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken - wild or in captivity. September 2016 was the very first time I was brave enough to do this long drive myself, but I really, really wanted to go. Since then, I have repeated the drive every year except for 2021.
This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too.
Because I knew what a long drive this would be, I drove on highways almost all the time. Just one gravel back road was the exception. As it happened, I almost immediately came across two juvenile Swainson's Hawks perched on adjacent fence posts. They were beautiful birds, showing off the attractive feather patterns on their backs. They just sat there, unconcerned by the presence of my car, and were still there when I left a short while later. You have to love Swainson's juveniles. These were just two of several hawks I saw in the wild this day. Of course, I saw all sorts of birds of prey once I reached the Centre. Always fun to have a young Great Horned Owl or a tiny Burrowing Owl perched on ones arm. I asked if they had a Turkey Vulture and they had two, in one of the small cages/enclosures outdoors. These Vultures are so much smaller than I always think they are.
On the way home, I checked to see if I could see a Common Nighthawk and did eventually spot one, on a pole out in a field. Zoomed in and took a handful of identical photos, and have posted one just for the record.
This was definitely a rewarding - and exhausting - day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day! I actually managed to leave home just after 8:00 am and got back a few minutes before 7:00 pm, earlier than I was expecting.
Tags: Alberta Canada SE of Calgary road trip to Alberta Birds of Prey Centre scenery landscape farmland agriculture field harvest colour turbines wind turbine prairie sky clouds outdoor summer 24 August 2022 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2022 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
This bird was not visible to my naked eye, but I was doing a quick search from inside the car with my camera zoomed. The post was way into the field, and the angle of the sleeping bird was definitely not the greatest. However, I love to see and photograph these Common Nighthawks, which happens rarely. This individual was quite likely to be one of the ones I have seen before, though not at the exact same spot as the two I saw a few days ago.
Yesterday, 24 August 2022, turned out to be an 11-hour day, driving a total of 483 km. Fortunately, it was not an extremely hot day, thanks to the drop in temperature the last day or two, together with some much-needed rain. Luckily, I was not going to go to the mountains, as you could barely see them through the thick haze (smoke?).
My actual destination was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken - wild or in captivity. September 2016 was the very first time I was brave enough to do this long drive myself, but I really, really wanted to go. Since then, I have repeated the drive every year except for 2021.
This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too.
Because I knew what a long drive this would be, I drove on highways almost all the time. Just one gravel back road was the exception. As it happened, I almost immediately came across two juvenile Swainson's Hawks perched on adjacent fence posts. They were beautiful birds, showing off the attractive feather patterns on their backs. They just sat there, unconcerned by the presence of my car, and were still there when I left a short while later. You have to love Swainson's juveniles. These were just two of several hawks I saw in the wild this day. Of course, I saw all sorts of birds of prey once I reached the Centre. Always fun to have a young Great Horned Owl or a tiny Burrowing Owl perched on ones arm. I asked if they had a Turkey Vulture and they had two, in one of the small cages/enclosures outdoors. These Vultures are so much smaller than I always think they are.
On the way home, I checked to see if I could see a Common Nighthawk and did eventually spot one, on a pole out in a field. Zoomed in and took a handful of identical photos, and have posted one just for the record.
This was definitely a rewarding - and exhausting - day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day! I actually managed to leave home just after 8:00 am and got back a few minutes before 7:00 pm, earlier than I was expecting.
Tags: Alberta Canada SE of Calgary nature wildlife wild bird avian ornithology bird Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor perched post wooden back/side view sleeping asleep field bokeh outdoor summer 24 August 2022 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2022 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
Yesterday, 24 August 2022, turned out to be an 11-hour day, driving a total of 483 km. Fortunately, it was not an extremely hot day, thanks to the drop in temperature the last day or two, together with some much-needed rain. Luckily, I was not going to go to the mountains, as you could barely see them through the thick haze (smoke?).
My actual destination was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken - wild or in captivity. September 2016 was the very first time I was brave enough to do this long drive myself, but I really, really wanted to go. Since then, I have repeated the drive every year except for 2021.
This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too.
Because I knew what a long drive this would be, I drove on highways almost all the time. Just one gravel back road was the exception. As it happened, I almost immediately came across two juvenile Swainson's Hawks perched on adjacent fence posts. They were beautiful birds, showing off the attractive feather patterns on their backs. They just sat there, unconcerned by the presence of my car, and were still there when I left a short while later. You have to love Swainson's juveniles. The yellow in the background is a field in harvest colour. These were just two of several hawks I saw in the wild this day. Of course, I saw all sorts of birds of prey once I reached the Centre. Always fun to have a young Great Horned Owl or a tiny Burrowing Owl perched on ones arm. I asked if they had a Turkey Vulture and they had two, in one of the small cages/enclosures outdoors. These Vultures are so much smaller than I always think they are.
On the way home, I checked to see if I could see a Common Nighthawk and did eventually spot one, on a pole out in a field. Zoomed in and took a handful of identical photos, and have posted one just for the record.
This was definitely a rewarding - and exhausting - day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day! I actually managed to leave home just after 8:00 am and got back a few minutes before 7:00 pm, earlier than I was expecting.
Tags: Alberta Canada SE of Calgary nature wildlife wild bird avian ornithology bird bird of prey raptor hawk Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni juvenile perched unseen fence post one of two siblings adjacent fence posts back view feathers pattern beauty field harvest colour bokeh outdoor summer 24 August 2022 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2022 © All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved