Known as dedication :)

A group of eight of us drove south of Calgary on 18 December 2012, to take part in the annual High River Christmas Bird Count. We covered all the backroads in the SE quadrant of the huge circle around the town. One of the places we stopped at was Frank Lake, a very popular place for birders. This photo was taken, looking towards the sun, giving what I thought was quite a nice effect. Have to admit that while the others were scanning the lake for any sign of wildlife, I was enjoying myself taking scenic shots and ice-crystals : ) I've marked this shot on my map, but placed it in the middle of Frank lake, as I'm not sure just where we were.

We started our search at around 8:30 a.m. and returned to the meeting place around 5:00 p.m., when we handed in our results and stayed for a delicious potluck supper. Thanks so much to the local birders who organized this most enjoyable ending to a long day!

Our small group's sightings for the day:

Mallard 9 in am at Frank Lake; 7 seen flying there in late pm.
Common Goldeneye-4
Bald Eagle-4 ad.
Northern Goshawk-2 ad.
Rough-legged Hawk-1
Merlin-2
Gray Partridge-12
Sharp-tailed Grouse-5
Rock Pigeon-26
Great Horned Owl-5
Snowy Owl-1 (seen 3 times).
Downy Woodpecker-1 m.
Black-billed Magpie-34
Common Raven-8
Northern Shrike-1
American Tree Sparrow-3
Snow Bunting-807
Common Redpoll-925
Hoary Redpoll-1
House Sparrow-245