Click to view in Lightbox.
.
Nice to see the return of the Great Blue Heron (even though they enjoy eating our trout) in and around our lake and slough (wetlands).
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores, England and the Netherlands. [...].
It feeds in shallow water or at the water's edge during both the night and the day, but especially around dawn and dusk. It uses its long legs to wade through shallow water, and spears fish or frogs with its long, sharp bill.
.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blue_Heron
Tags: peggyhr The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) dry grasses water reflections wetlands slough brown blue IMG_5451aA Bluebird Estates Alberta Canada Sapphire Awards THE LOOK level 1 RED THE LOOK level 2 YELLOW ringexcellence * * Nossas Vidas / Nosso Mundo * Our Life / Our World * * as beautiful as you want my_gear_and_me Show Room MY FLICKR FAV's REFLEXO ↓☆↑ REFLECTION. RED - Group No. 1 THE GALAXY **HARMONY**
© All Rights Reserved
Click to view in Lightbox.
.
The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body. [...] The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada Goose from all other goose species.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Goose
.
Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for the visit.
PS Will be on the road again tomorrow.
Tags: peggyhr geese ice water lake closeup reflection Canada Geese wild white black brown taupe IMG_5397aA Bluebird Estates Alberta Canada Blink Again THE LOOK level 1 RED THE GALAXY Flickr Bronze Award THE LOOK level 2 YELLOW FRIENDS my_gear_and_me RED - Group No. 1 **Heart Awards** THE LOOK level 3 ORANGE ROYAL Gr☮up Show Room Dragonfly Awards * Art of Images Carolina's farm friends
© All Rights Reserved
Click to view in Lightbox.
.
Back at Bluebird Estates, we were delighted to see that one pair of "our" Canada geese had 10 goslings and the other pair had 6!!!
After a rainy day, the sun is finally out. Hoping for a beautiful sunset tonight and sunrise tomorrow. Fingers crossed :-)
.
Here's wishing you a wonderful new week and thanks so much for the visit.
Tags: peggyhr Canada Goose goslings grass lake yellow irises black brown white yellow green blue taupe IMG_8342a Bluebird Estates Alberta Canada Carolina's farm friends
© All Rights Reserved
Click to view in Lightbox.
.
This spring three pairs of wild Canada Geese nested on our three small islands and raised their 26 goslings on the lake and slough on Bluebird Estates. The morning before the first frost many returned to frolic in the sparkling waters one more time before flying south for the winter!
I enjoyed photographing their antics in the golden morning light not only on the lake and slough but also in the air. What a treat!
.
The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body. [...] The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada Goose from all other goose species.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Goose
.
Have a happy weekend and thanks for dropping by.
Tags: peggyhr Canada Geese reflections cattails autumn water slough wetlands brown green yellow orange white beige blueIMG_2361aA Bluebird Estates Alberta Canada Branta canadensis swirls ripples Chariots of Nature **Heart Awards** !Photo-Hobby! Level 1 RED - Group No. 1 **HARMONY** my_gear_and_me THE GALAXY THE LOOK level 1 RED Blink Again 25+ Faves YELLOW - Group No. 2 Nice As It Gets~Level 1 “flickrAward Double Dragon Awards THE LOOK level 2 YELLOW 100+ comment group
© All Rights Reserved
Click to view in Lightbox.
.
Yesterday, as dusk was setting in, I looked up from the dinner table just in time to see this white-tailed visitor enjoying a drink from our lake and munching on the last of the autumn vegetation on the shoreline. The first four images were captured from inside our home (through the closed window) Of course, the low light made it very difficult to get super shots but, after a bit of editing, here are some images of these graceful creatures.
Loved seeing the white underside of their raised tails as they started running when they saw me (I didn't know the mother was there so trying to get out onto the deck by the other door did not help ... she heard me).
.
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Description
Size
■Average weight for bucks is 90 kilograms (200 pounds).
■Does weigh about 60 kilograms (130 pounds).
Appearance
■Colouration changes from reddish-brown in summer to greyish- brown in winter.
■Tail is broad and brown, fringed with white, and white underneath. When running, the tail is held erect, exposing its white underside, hence the name "white-tail."
■Unlike mule deer, white-tails have no rump patch.
■Buck’s antlers have unbranched tines extending up from single beams.
■White-tailed deer are extremely wary, and when alarmed they move rapidly, bounding away in smooth, graceful leaps.
Distribution■The white-tailed deer is Alberta's most abundant cloven-hoofed animal.
■White-tailed deer are found in the prairie, parkland and southern boreal zones.
■Their range is expanding westward into the foothills, mountains and northward further into the boreal zone.
Natural HistoryHabitat
■Typical habitat includes aspen groves, wooded river flats and coulees.
■In addition to food, brushy patches also provide good cover, in which even the largest white-tail is difficult to see.
Food
■Diet includes:
■Forbs
■Choke cherry
■Saskatoon and other shrubs.
www.srd.alberta.ca/FishWildlife/WildSpecies/Mammals/Deer/...
.
Habitat and Habits
Abundant food makes almost any forested or bushy area suitable for white-tailed deer during the summer, but as snow deepens the deer concentrate in "deer yards," or areas that provide food and shelter from storms and deep snow. Sometimes the move from summer to winter range requires travelling many kilometres.
Unique characteristics
The doe leaves her fawn unattended for hours at a time. When the fawn remains bedded, the natural camouflage of its spotted coat and its almost scentless condition effectively conceal it from predators. The doe returns at intervals to suckle the fawn.
People sometimes chance to find fawns in their secluded hiding places and mistakenly believe they have been deserted by their mothers. In fact, a doe will rarely desert her fawn, and the little animals should not be touched. Human scent on the fawn may cause the doe to desert it.
www.hww.ca/en/species/mammals/white-tailed-deer.html
.
Hope you are enjoying your day and thanks for dropping by.
Tags: peggyhr white-tailed deer White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus dusk grasses yellow orange green greyish-brown reddish-brown thistles lakeshore brown taupe white nature IMG_3048aA Bluebird Estates Alberta Canada **Heart Awards** Carolina's farm friends
© All Rights Reserved