In the bleak midwinter
Outlined in frost
The donkeys with reflector eyes
Christmas remnants
Fenced in
A winter day in southern Alberta
Home of the Snowshoe Hare
The best colour to see in winter
A fence without an owl
Short-eared Owl
Taking the quieter road
Time for an old barn again
'Superman, where are you now?'
A friendly greeting
Old barn with a different style
Four more months to wait
Narrow strip of light
A view through the bushes
Little church in the valley
A cluster of red barns
And they call this winter (in Alberta)?
A snack for his babies
Natural beauty
03 Short-eared Owl / Asio flammeus
Just a splash of colour
A sky filled with clouds
Mountain Bluebirds have no blue pigment
A white barn from yesterday
Mountain Bluebird
Yellow-headed Blackbirds in every direction
Still standing
Wilson's Snipe, seen from afar
Dandelions - of course : )
McDougall Memorial United Church
01 Spic and span
The old barn at the Ellis Bird Farm
Entrance to the Ellis Bird Farm
Female Mountain Bluebird / Sialia currucoides
Along a country back road
I think he caught a beautiful Tiger Moth : )
Such good parents
Female Bobolink / Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Beautiful wings of a female Mountain Bluebird
My first Bald Eagle on a fence post
This old house
Bright and cheery in its old age
Collecting food for her babies
A well-decorated fence
Eastern Kingbird
Nest-building Dad
Mt Lorette Ponds, Kananaskis
Swainson's Hawk on an early morning hunt
A bright splash of blue in August
McDougall Memorial United Church
The beauty of fall
02 Two young Moose
01 Red-winged Blackbird - female or juvenile
Clematis after the rain
One spectacular fall day
Old barn at the Ellis Bird Farm
Following the fenceline
Christmas star
Sunrise colour over the mountain peaks
A road less travelled
A touch of frost
A frosty view from Frank Lake blind
So far away, but better than nothing
Pine Grosbeak male / Pinicola enucleator
Fence line in the fall
CL Ranches, Alberta
Dark-eyed Junco / Junco hyemalis
All decked out
Petunias
Bluebird of happiness
Mountain Bluebird female
A snack that is sure to tickle
American Goldfinch female with Sunflower seed
A lovely splash of colour
Eastern Kingbird
One of three
Changes by new owners in "The Famous Five" field
Little red barn on Mother's Day
Vibrant colour of spring
Simple but bright
Strong winds on the prairies
Red barn in a field of gold
A favourite tree
Off limits
Delicate damselfly
Wrinkled sky
Gently falling snow
Red barn on a sunny day
Horse on the prairie
The wonder of hoar frost
A prairie view
Do you see what I see? Look very closely at the w…
Made to feel welcome
Red
The prairies in winter
Aged beauty
Driving in a winter wonderland
Frosty fence and fields
Three little kittens
A nice old barn
Three little birders of the wrong kind
A quick peek through the fence
Late fall on the prairies
A barn with a difference
Old barn and sunflower shed
A beautiful country barn
At the end of the path
McDougall Church on a sunny day
Two of a kind!
Avian beauty
A Snipe from last year
Dandelion bokeh
Brewer's Blackbird with food for his babies
Swainson's Hawk on a rainy day
Sharing her catch
Superman's barn
Fog is not good for birding
Yay, Superman!
Pretty little lady
Winter sunrise.jpg
Some white patches have eyes : )
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Golden Eagle along the fenceline
A closer look at one of the five beautiful Golden Eagles that we saw two days ago. This is the closest photo I managed to get, but it's close enough to see the difference in colour of the head compared to the rest of the body. Such spectacular birds, and a species that I so rarely get the chance to see. I have added a previously posted, much closer shot of a Golden Eagle from the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre in a comment box below.
"The Golden Eagle is one of the largest, fastest, nimblest raptors in North America. Lustrous gold feathers gleam on the back of its head and neck; a powerful beak and talons advertise its hunting prowess. You're most likely to see this eagle in western North America, soaring on steady wings or diving in pursuit of the jackrabbits and other small mammals that are its main prey. Sometimes seen attacking large mammals, or fighting off coyotes or bears in defense of its prey and young, the Golden Eagle has long inspired both reverence and fear." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagle/id
Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January, sometimes delayed because of really bad weather. The Count that took place two days ago, on 3 January 2016, was part of the 2015 Bird Count.
As you can see, the weather was bright and sunny for us this day. What you can't see was that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a more pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. On last year's trip in January (for the 2013 Count, but delayed), on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. Also, the only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms.
We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars (we saw 5!) and in which some years - but definitely not this Count! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of these backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group!
Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's place as we were very nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home.
After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite.
Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and several tiny white Quail. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year.
Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for next Christmas!
"The Golden Eagle is one of the largest, fastest, nimblest raptors in North America. Lustrous gold feathers gleam on the back of its head and neck; a powerful beak and talons advertise its hunting prowess. You're most likely to see this eagle in western North America, soaring on steady wings or diving in pursuit of the jackrabbits and other small mammals that are its main prey. Sometimes seen attacking large mammals, or fighting off coyotes or bears in defense of its prey and young, the Golden Eagle has long inspired both reverence and fear." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagle/id
Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January, sometimes delayed because of really bad weather. The Count that took place two days ago, on 3 January 2016, was part of the 2015 Bird Count.
As you can see, the weather was bright and sunny for us this day. What you can't see was that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a more pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. On last year's trip in January (for the 2013 Count, but delayed), on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. Also, the only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms.
We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars (we saw 5!) and in which some years - but definitely not this Count! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of these backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group!
Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's place as we were very nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home.
After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite.
Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and several tiny white Quail. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year.
Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for next Christmas!
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