Ruddy Duck
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Sparkling feathers
Cinnamon Teal
02 Tree Swallow trio
Escape of the Black-crowned Night Heron
This old house
Lighting up the storm clouds
Love those Canola fields
Barn Swallow
Layers
American Coot interactive display
Is this what I think it is? Yes, a Ferruginous Ha…
Marbled Godwit / Limosa fedoa
Layers of colour
Once a family home
Landscape colours
Juvenile Horned Lark
Roadside wild sunflowers
Swainson's Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Weathered and patched
Swainson's Hawk in flight
At Mossleigh grain elevators
Storm clouds over Canola
Mossleigh grain elevators
Helmeted Guineafowl / Numida meleagris
Tea, anyone?
A use for old shoes
Across the river
The colours of fall
No need to worry about one or two wrinkles
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Sunflower going to seed
An old barn with character
Grain elevator at Barons
Purple Petunias
Lapland Longspur? No, a female Red-winged Blackbi…
Silos/grain terminal and old elevator, Herronton
An old favourite
American Tree Sparrow
When storms blow in
Under a stormy sky
That sinking feeling
Ornamental Cabbage or Ornamental Kale?
Pretty Mama cat
Black-necked Stilt
Hanging on till the final fall
Seedpod of Datura sp.?
Grain storage in Heronton
A bunch of Christmas owls
Little country church at Dinton
Snowy Owl harassed by Snow Buntings
One of my favourite barns
Can you see what I see?
Beauty in the final stage
Happy Christmas, everyone!
'Barn' Owl, alias Great Horned Owl
Snow turns something ordinary into beautiful
An old, red beauty
Eared Grebe
Winter on the prairies
Water patterns in matching colours
Trying to impress the females
Still standing
Willet / Tringa semipalmata
Yellow-headed Blackbirds in every direction
An old barn in winter
Charcoal effect
A Tree Swallow's iridescence
Gathering of the masses
Roof shingles galore
Black-necked Stilt
One of a crowd
Cinnamon Teal pair
Western Meadowlark
Caution - deep water
A tree full of Tree Swallows
Old barn in winter
Into the sun at Frank Lake
Weathered and patched
Northern Shrike / Lanius excubitor
Tangled
Looking across Frank Lake
Mural in Blackie, Alberta
Ice patterns
Bubbles at Frank Lake
The return of the Swans
Passing the time
Fence post with a difference
Blackie Grain Terminal, Alberta
Built with love
A life left behind
From days gone by
One of my favourite barns
Davisburg Community Church, Alberta
Farmyard scene on the prairie
Just a splash of colour
A cluster of red barns
Remembering a cold, frosty bird count
A fine old barn
Davisburg Community Church, Alberta
Old barn with a different style
Fancy silo with stairs
Davisburg Community Church, Alberta
When the clouds roll in
A friendly greeting
Aging gracefully
Little country church
'Superman, where are you now?'
The cross and the moon
Time for an old barn again
One of my favourite birds to photograph
Beware those icy fingers
Home of the Snowshoe Hare
Reflection through the fog
Little red barn on the prairie
Ice is nice
With a view of the mountains and the prairies
Long-billed ice bird
Christmas is a fun time for a kitten
Old homestead and barn
Textures of an old homestead
Tea, anyone?
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207 visits
A prairie song
It is raining here in Calgary this morning, 12 May 2016. It also snowed in some parts of the city earlier - I didn't set my alarm clock, so it may have snowed a little in my area while I was still asleep. Nothing settled, anyway. Our temperature is 2C, expected to soar to 5C this afternoon : ) Unfortunately, there is no rain up north in the Fort McMurray area and none expected till next week. They desperately need it to help with the massive wildfire.
Two and a half weeks ago, on 24 April 2016, I was out for the day, SE of Calgary around Frank Lake. Finally, after so much glorious, summer-like spring weather, the weather changed for the worse and we had a cool (needed gloves), very overcast day with light drizzle some of the time. Not good at all for taking photos. Later, we also had a fair bit of desperately needed rain that night. I was especially disappointed with the shots I took of this beautiful Western Meadowlark. Usually, they fly even when they see you in the far distance, but this beauty let me slowly walk quite close to get a number of photos. The quality is awful, but I don't get a chance to photograph Meadowlarks very often, so will post at least one or two grainy images. If you've never heard the song of a Meadowlark, it might be worth listening on AllAboutBirds website.
Eight friends and I had a great day, despite the weather. This is one of my favourite areas and I just hadn't been getting time to drive there myself for quite a long time. We started off at the main gate and drove to the blind/hide area, stopping half way to search for very distant birds. While everyone else had their binoculars pointed over the water, I was slowly walking towards this Meadowlark, who was singing its beautiful song. You can hear them and they sound so close, but their song seems to carry a long way. It kept flying away but each time returned to the same post. I was amazed and delighted that this one let me get so close. If the sun had been shining, it would have been perfect!
As usual when we go to Frank Lake, almost all the birds are very distant and pretty impossible to photograph. I did catch a male Red-winged Blackbird - the females had not yet returned here. The other amazing thing was when we had walked from the Frank Lake bird blind over to the water in the other direction, a flock of about 50 Tree Swallows were flying to and from a low tree/shrub, catching the many insects while in flight. Again, while everyone was searching over the water, I gradually made my way to within just a few feet of the bush. Quite a feeling to have so many Tree Swallows circling all the way around you. I have never ever seen so many of them acting like this, so it was a neat experience.
From this main area, we called in at the usual three other places around the lake. Two were rough roads that led to Basin 2 from the east and the west, and the third was the Ducks Unlimited location at the far southern edge of the lake, at Basin 3.
Thanks so much for a great day, Tony, and for the ride all day. I always look forward to the Frank Lake trips.
"The buoyant, flutelike melody of the Western Meadowlark ringing out across a field can brighten anyone’s day. Meadowlarks are often more easily heard than seen, unless you spot a male singing from a fence post. This colorful member of the blackbird family flashes a vibrant yellow breast crossed by a distinctive, black, V-shaped band. Look and listen for these stout ground feeders in grasslands, meadows, pastures, and along marsh edges throughout the West and Midwest, where flocks strut and feed on seeds and insects." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Meadowlark/id
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_meadowlark
I will add our leader, Tony Timmons' list of species seen, adding that only 6 people walked as far as the Hudsonian Godwits - I was not one of them.
"Nine people were on the trip today to Frank Lake. Expected species were present in pretty fair numbers, with the best sighting being 15 Hudsonian Godwits at Basin 3.
A flock of 50 Tree Swallows hacking insects and using a small bush for a perch, made for an interesting scene.
We had 56 species for the trip
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
White-faced Ibis (1 seen by Dan P.)
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Green-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Ruddy Duck
Northern Harrier
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Gray Partridge
American Coot
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Hudsonian Godwit
Wilson's Snipe
Franklin's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
California Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Marsh Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Sparrow"
Two and a half weeks ago, on 24 April 2016, I was out for the day, SE of Calgary around Frank Lake. Finally, after so much glorious, summer-like spring weather, the weather changed for the worse and we had a cool (needed gloves), very overcast day with light drizzle some of the time. Not good at all for taking photos. Later, we also had a fair bit of desperately needed rain that night. I was especially disappointed with the shots I took of this beautiful Western Meadowlark. Usually, they fly even when they see you in the far distance, but this beauty let me slowly walk quite close to get a number of photos. The quality is awful, but I don't get a chance to photograph Meadowlarks very often, so will post at least one or two grainy images. If you've never heard the song of a Meadowlark, it might be worth listening on AllAboutBirds website.
Eight friends and I had a great day, despite the weather. This is one of my favourite areas and I just hadn't been getting time to drive there myself for quite a long time. We started off at the main gate and drove to the blind/hide area, stopping half way to search for very distant birds. While everyone else had their binoculars pointed over the water, I was slowly walking towards this Meadowlark, who was singing its beautiful song. You can hear them and they sound so close, but their song seems to carry a long way. It kept flying away but each time returned to the same post. I was amazed and delighted that this one let me get so close. If the sun had been shining, it would have been perfect!
As usual when we go to Frank Lake, almost all the birds are very distant and pretty impossible to photograph. I did catch a male Red-winged Blackbird - the females had not yet returned here. The other amazing thing was when we had walked from the Frank Lake bird blind over to the water in the other direction, a flock of about 50 Tree Swallows were flying to and from a low tree/shrub, catching the many insects while in flight. Again, while everyone was searching over the water, I gradually made my way to within just a few feet of the bush. Quite a feeling to have so many Tree Swallows circling all the way around you. I have never ever seen so many of them acting like this, so it was a neat experience.
From this main area, we called in at the usual three other places around the lake. Two were rough roads that led to Basin 2 from the east and the west, and the third was the Ducks Unlimited location at the far southern edge of the lake, at Basin 3.
Thanks so much for a great day, Tony, and for the ride all day. I always look forward to the Frank Lake trips.
"The buoyant, flutelike melody of the Western Meadowlark ringing out across a field can brighten anyone’s day. Meadowlarks are often more easily heard than seen, unless you spot a male singing from a fence post. This colorful member of the blackbird family flashes a vibrant yellow breast crossed by a distinctive, black, V-shaped band. Look and listen for these stout ground feeders in grasslands, meadows, pastures, and along marsh edges throughout the West and Midwest, where flocks strut and feed on seeds and insects." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Meadowlark/id
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_meadowlark
I will add our leader, Tony Timmons' list of species seen, adding that only 6 people walked as far as the Hudsonian Godwits - I was not one of them.
"Nine people were on the trip today to Frank Lake. Expected species were present in pretty fair numbers, with the best sighting being 15 Hudsonian Godwits at Basin 3.
A flock of 50 Tree Swallows hacking insects and using a small bush for a perch, made for an interesting scene.
We had 56 species for the trip
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
White-faced Ibis (1 seen by Dan P.)
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Green-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Ruddy Duck
Northern Harrier
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Gray Partridge
American Coot
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Hudsonian Godwit
Wilson's Snipe
Franklin's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
California Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Marsh Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Sparrow"
, Pam J have particularly liked this photo
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