Another view at William J Bagnall Wildlife Park
Goldeneye on golden 'pond'
Fine feathers of a female Mallard
The Heritage tree at Carburn Park
Clouds, reflected
Munch, munch, munch ....
Just look at those toenails
Song Sparrow / Melospiza melodia
Cinnamon Teal pair
Black-necked Stilt
Mountain Bluebird from three years ago
Camouflaged as a rock
A recent spring arrival
A handsome mate
American Avocet in rippled water
American Wigeon male, resting on a log
Willet / Tringa semipalmata
Trying to impress the females
American Wigeon pair
Water patterns in matching colours
Ruddy Duck
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Sparkling feathers
Canada Goose
Finely iridescent
Red-necked Grebe
Sleeping down at the pond
Chilean Flamingo
One of my favourite views
Spotted Sandpiper
Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Escape of the Black-crowned Night Heron
American Coot interactive display
Waterton Lakes National Park
Challenges of a photographer
Prince of Wales hotel, Waterton
White-crowned Sparrow / Zonotrichia leucophrys
Black-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
01 Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Red-belted Polypore with guttation droplets
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Mt Lorette Ponds, Kananaskis
Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Mt. Buller, Buller Pond, Kananaskis
Conserving heat
Peninsular, Lower Kananaskis Lake
Lower Kananaskis Lake at Peninsular
The arrival of fall
Across the river
Chinook arch over Calgary
Autumn colours at the stormwater pond
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
When winter comes to the mountains
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
Leisurely swim
A day of swans and ducks and geese
Ring-billed Gull and Bonaparte's Gull
Trumpeter Swan
Gap Lake
Elbow Falls, Kananaskis
When storms blow in
Into the sun at Frank Lake
Wooden bridge at Weaselhead
A touch of Fireweed
Looking across Frank Lake
Ice patterns
Bubbles at Frank Lake
The return of the Swans
Fence post with a difference
A sky filled with clouds
Glenmore Dam, Calgary, Alberta
Rent a canoe at Emerald Lake
One of my favourite birds to photograph
Emerald Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Common Loon
Emerald Lake
Rusty Blackbird
Winter chill
Heritage tree from 1907, at Carburn Park
Baby Coot
Being a good mother
Lesser Scaup
Ibis iridescence
November in Weaselhead
Rockyview General Hospital, reflected
Yesterday's walk along the Bow River
Mallard female
Long-billed Dowitchers / Limnodromus scolopaceus
Fall reflections at Carburn Park
Black-necked Stilt
Common Loon in emerald waters
Marsland Basin
Up close and personal
Feeding time excitement
Taking a closer look at the fish
Sparkles on Forgetmenot Pond
Deciduous yellow
Pretty lady
Colonel Walker House, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
Along the Irrigation Canal
The last of the fall colour
A narrow strip of light
Ring-necked Duck
Tundra Swans
The edge of a Lily pad
Peace in the Jumpingpound area
Along the Bow River in fall
Fall reflections
Ralph Klein Park
Hooded Merganser males
Maskinonge Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park
The joy of peace and quiet
Forgetmenot Pond
Flooded with sunset colour
Colourful pair of Wood Ducks / Aix sponsa
Greater White-fronted Geese, Marsland Basin
American White Pelican - synchronized feeding
A double dose of clouds
Remembering 9/11
Anne on a mission .....
Pied-billed Grebe juvenile
Juvenile Wood Duck
Lesser Scaup
See also...
Keywords
Authorizations, license
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618 visits
William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park
William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park is named after Mountain View County’s first reeve, who served in the position from 1961 to 1981 and also served as a councillor until 1985. The William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park is located seven kilometres west of Water Valley just off Highway 579.
"Remediation efforts for the wilderness park were undertaken after the area was made inaccessible following the flood of 2005. Included in the upgrades is a new entry and parking lot on the south side (just off Highway 579); two walking trails that will form a 1.2-kilometre loop; a historical sign detailing the history of the site as a coal mining area; a small picnic area, including outhouses, tables and pest-proof containers; along with several stairways for steep-grade accessibility." From an article in the Mountainview Gazette on 14 June 2011.
www.mountainviewgazette.ca/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201...
This was my very first visit to this wilderness park. A couple of friends had mentioned it a few days ago and I finally decided to go and explore part of the area.
Yesterday, 5 April 2016, I had to remove my car from my parking lot so that it could be cleaned. I don't have a current street pass, so I knew that I had a few hours to kill before I could get back home. The notice said that cleaning would start at 12:00 noon, so at 11:40 am, I was on my way, heading NW of the city. There was no way I was going to set my alarm clocks for 5:00 am again, so I thought I would do an afternoon/evening drive for a change. I was hoping that I might just see one of the Great Gray Owls, but there was nothing in sight, other than a couple of Ravens and a pair of distant Mountain Bluebirds. It was kind of amusing, as there was one other car up there, moving very slowly. Turned out to be a man who told me that he had never once been there without seeing a Great Grey Owl. Well, I jokingly told him that maybe I would end up changing that for him - and sure enough, not a single owl. He's probably hoping that he never runs into me again, lol!
After calling in at the little store in Water Valley, I drove westwards, a road I had never driven before, and eventually reached the William J. Bagnall WIlderness Park. I can't remember exactly where the park began, but this is fairly typical landscape of the area.
The scenery was beautiful, with many treed ridges with small creeks in between (see the third photo I posted today). There were still patches of ice in places - something I hadn't seen for quite a while. Elevations near Water Valley are higher than in Calgary, which means that it is colder and wetter. I didn't look for birds, as I was so focused on the road ahead. A wide road, but slightly muddy gravel which made the car 'slide' a little. I'm not quite sure just where the road goes in the park, but I turned around when I came to a fork in the road and the roads became very narrow. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to drive in either direction. Oh, yes, I had forgotten, early on, I had come to a sign telling drivers that they would be driving at their own risk! I never like seeing these signs, ha, including knowing that my car is now 17 years old.
After the long drive back to the city, I was tired and just wanted to go straight home. However, I knew I just had to go and wash my absolutely filthy vehicle that was caked in so much dried mud from so many back road drives recently. Didn't want the mud falling on to a newly cleaned parking space. Took forever to wash,, but now simply gleams (temporarily!). Guess what I discovered when I did reach home - the parking lot had NOT been cleaned after all ... sigh.
"Remediation efforts for the wilderness park were undertaken after the area was made inaccessible following the flood of 2005. Included in the upgrades is a new entry and parking lot on the south side (just off Highway 579); two walking trails that will form a 1.2-kilometre loop; a historical sign detailing the history of the site as a coal mining area; a small picnic area, including outhouses, tables and pest-proof containers; along with several stairways for steep-grade accessibility." From an article in the Mountainview Gazette on 14 June 2011.
www.mountainviewgazette.ca/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201...
This was my very first visit to this wilderness park. A couple of friends had mentioned it a few days ago and I finally decided to go and explore part of the area.
Yesterday, 5 April 2016, I had to remove my car from my parking lot so that it could be cleaned. I don't have a current street pass, so I knew that I had a few hours to kill before I could get back home. The notice said that cleaning would start at 12:00 noon, so at 11:40 am, I was on my way, heading NW of the city. There was no way I was going to set my alarm clocks for 5:00 am again, so I thought I would do an afternoon/evening drive for a change. I was hoping that I might just see one of the Great Gray Owls, but there was nothing in sight, other than a couple of Ravens and a pair of distant Mountain Bluebirds. It was kind of amusing, as there was one other car up there, moving very slowly. Turned out to be a man who told me that he had never once been there without seeing a Great Grey Owl. Well, I jokingly told him that maybe I would end up changing that for him - and sure enough, not a single owl. He's probably hoping that he never runs into me again, lol!
After calling in at the little store in Water Valley, I drove westwards, a road I had never driven before, and eventually reached the William J. Bagnall WIlderness Park. I can't remember exactly where the park began, but this is fairly typical landscape of the area.
The scenery was beautiful, with many treed ridges with small creeks in between (see the third photo I posted today). There were still patches of ice in places - something I hadn't seen for quite a while. Elevations near Water Valley are higher than in Calgary, which means that it is colder and wetter. I didn't look for birds, as I was so focused on the road ahead. A wide road, but slightly muddy gravel which made the car 'slide' a little. I'm not quite sure just where the road goes in the park, but I turned around when I came to a fork in the road and the roads became very narrow. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to drive in either direction. Oh, yes, I had forgotten, early on, I had come to a sign telling drivers that they would be driving at their own risk! I never like seeing these signs, ha, including knowing that my car is now 17 years old.
After the long drive back to the city, I was tired and just wanted to go straight home. However, I knew I just had to go and wash my absolutely filthy vehicle that was caked in so much dried mud from so many back road drives recently. Didn't want the mud falling on to a newly cleaned parking space. Took forever to wash,, but now simply gleams (temporarily!). Guess what I discovered when I did reach home - the parking lot had NOT been cleaned after all ... sigh.
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