A Black Bear sighting from May
Spirit
Reflected in the eye of an owl
Yesterday's excitement
Two small, orange butterflies - Northern Crescents
Moth on Creeping Thistle
Dwarf Dogwood
A look of intelligence
Now that's a whole lot of bull
Harebell and tiny visitors
McDougall Church on a sunny day
Where I was, yesterday
Looking a lot like fall
Watching and waiting
Burrowing Owl
Delicate
Forgetmenot Pond - one of my favourite places
At the end of the path
The beauty of low cloud
Forgetmenot Pond
Lenticular clouds over the mountains
One of my favourite Lichens
Between the trees
Mountain view
Like rays of sunshine
Yesterday morning's sunrise
Pine Grosbeak
Moose in a winter wonderland
Male Moose are judged by the size of their antler…
Soaking up the incredible beauty
Just in time
Texture of burnt trees
Heading into the sun
A solitary Moose cow
Free car wash, anyone?
Light and darkness
Short-eared Owl
Time to rest
Happy New Year, everyone!
A place of peace and beauty
Sunbathed mountain slopes
No equipment needed - just a tongue
A final goodbye
Sunlit peaks
Such a fun Moose
From shadow to light
Set from the movie, The Revenant
Black Bear from last spring
Another car gets a licking
Golden Eagle named Spirit
Baby Barn Owl
Columbian Ground Squirrel
Sunshine on a mighty peak
Moose portrait
Mountain splendour
A young male Moose
Licking salt off its lips
Driving in a winter wonderland
The finest of feathers
Young bull Moose
A scene from the past
Barn at Folk Tree Lodge
Young male Red-breasted Grosbeak?
Against the cabin wall
Baby Barn Owl : )
White Spiraea, aka Birchleaf Spiraea / Spiraea bet…
Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Come into my parlour, said the spider to the (butt…
Just playing ....
Rev. George McDougall
I'm in awe, no matter how many I see
Gaillardia against weathered wood
McDougall Church
A fancy outhouse door
One busy log
Canada Violet
Wild Strawberry
Fascinating forest find
The culprit
Black Bear busy feeding
Shootingstars / Dodecatheon
Arrow-leaved coltsfoot / Petasites sagittatus
Early Blue Violet
A fascinating mushroom cap
Yesterday's treat
A close look
Striped Coralroot
Not interested in us
A peaceful litte spot
Details in black
Coyote on the prowl
After the fire
On guard
Near Morant's Curve
Beyond the treetops
Soft as velvet
A quick glance in our direction
Beauty in nature
On the prowl
Takes a lot of grass and leaves to fill a Bear
Not missing a thing
A disappearing act
Totally at home
Reflected beauty
Columbian Ground Squirrel
Happily feeding
Added for colour
Not dressed in their Sunday best
Happiness is ... playing in a puddle
Moth on a washroom window
Through the Rocky Mountains
Here one minute, gone the next
Lavendula
Through a fancy window
Colourful lichen on a bridge railing
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
A real treat from the weekend
Forgetmenot Pond
Police Car Moth caterpillar
Cascade Mt., Banff
Nothing but fluff
Lake Louise on a rainy day
Summer joy
Strawberries and cream fungus
Mistaya Canyon, Icefields Parkway
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Burrowing Owl
This little Burrowing Owl was one of five birds of prey that were at an exhibit a few days ago. Thought I'd post this close-up shot first, but I do have photos showing the whole bird that I may post sometime. We do have Burrowing Owls in the wild in Alberta, but not just around Calgary, and I've never seen one (though I'd love to). It is an Endangered species. The sunlight was so harsh on this little owl, so a few of the details are a bit blown out. Practically impossible to get a shot of this owl looking forward, as it's little head was turning from side to side all the time. Thanks so much to the people down at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (near Lethbridge, down towards the Canada/US border) for bringing these birds of prey for us to see! As usual, I'll use the description from other photos from this day that I have already posted. Just ignore if you happen to have read it already : )
""As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com.
burrowingowl.com/visit/index.php
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl
On 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before. I had been that route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my youngest daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.
This year, there were fewer birds, but it was great to see any at all. There was a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, a Great Horned Owl (photo posted two days ago), and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old (posted yesterday)! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone.
This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley. After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake (a photo posted today), but didn't walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail and did a very slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at and photograph a few different wildflowers and butterflies. Though slow, it was still further than I should have walked. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including various Orchid species, but there were still plenty of other species to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day.
""As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com.
burrowingowl.com/visit/index.php
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl
On 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before. I had been that route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my youngest daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.
This year, there were fewer birds, but it was great to see any at all. There was a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, a Great Horned Owl (photo posted two days ago), and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old (posted yesterday)! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone.
This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley. After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake (a photo posted today), but didn't walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail and did a very slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at and photograph a few different wildflowers and butterflies. Though slow, it was still further than I should have walked. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including various Orchid species, but there were still plenty of other species to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day.
Roger Dodger, , and 2 other people have particularly liked this photo
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