Wind-blown Osprey
Unidentified fungus
Treasures of the forest floor
Slightly patterned
A joy to behold
Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
A view from Mt. Shark
Mt. Buller, Buller Pond, Kananaskis
Northern Willowherb / Epilobium ciliatum
Northern Gentian
One of my favourite meadows
Mushroom in a wonderfully lush setting
Exploring the forest
Fine 'threads' of a mushroom veil
Picked for demonstration purposes - Honey Mushroom…
Aspen Roughstem Bolete / Leccinum insigne
Texture
False Morel fungus
An odd colour in nature
Why I would never eat wild mushrooms : )
McDougall Memorial United Church
Comb/Branched Hericium / Hericium ramosum
Strap/Coral Club / Clavariadelphus ligula
Trumpeter Swan
Gap Lake
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches / Leucosticte tephrocoti…
Love the little one's expression
A beauty from mushroom season
Osprey on the hunt
Shingled/Scaly Hedgehog fungus / Sarcodon imbricat…
Hiding in the shadows
Two winters ago
Exshaw Legion memorial
False Morel fungus
Small fungi growing among the mosses
Winter in Kananaskis
Moose from the archives
Moose in the mountains
Picked for demonstration
Upper Kananaskis Lake
Colour among the mosses and lichens
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Kananaskis - a winter wonderland
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Shooting stars / Dodecatheon sp. (and Dandelions)
American Dipper / Cinclus mexicanus
White-crowned Sparrow / Zonotrichia leucophrys
Elbow Falls, Kananaskis
Tall Lungwort
Elbow Falls, Kananaskis
(Yellow?) Morel mushroom
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Dandelion perfection
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
A splash of much-needed colour
Arnica sp.
Hearts at the Rusty Bucket Ranch
Sheep at the Rusty Bucket Ranch
Watch dog : )
Garden flowers at the Rusty Bucket Ranch
Wolf's Milk slime mold, Rusty Bucket Ranch
Purple/Water Avens seedhead / Geum rivale
Indian Paintbrush
Paintbrush - green flowers, red bracts
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Osprey take-off
Now they can't see me
01 Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
02 Colourful Dock sp.
Little mystery bird - juvenile Yellow-rumped Warbl…
Brown-headed Cowbird juvenile
Ram's Horn Snail shell
Kalm's Lobelia / Lobelia kalmii
Fleabane
Willow Flycatcher
Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Mountain Death Camas / Zigadenus elegans
Gaillardia
Flycatcher sp. - Willow or Alder Flycatcher
Spotted Sandpiper
One of my favourite views
Yellow lady's-slipper
Yellow Warbler male
McDougall Memorial United Church
A day in the mountains
Tucked away near the creek
McDougall Memorial United Church
McDougall Memorial United Church
Little church in the valley
Moose cow looking for salt
When winter really was winter
The beauty of Lake Louise
A winter walk
Winter beauty
Snow, snow and more snow
Licking the salt
Sunlight on the low cloud
Morning awakes
Travelling the Cobble Flats road
Pine Siskin
Sparkles on Forgetmenot Pond
Deciduous yellow
Tundra Swans
Fence line in the fall
Peace in the Jumpingpound area
CL Ranches, Alberta
Unidentified flower, Seebe, Alberta - Echium vulga…
Tall Larkspur / Delphinium glaucum
The joy of peace and quiet
Forgetmenot Pond
Like a little flower
Purplish Fritillary / Boloria chariclea
Young male Red-breasted Grosbeak?
Barn at Folk Tree Lodge
A scene from the past
Young bull Moose
The finest of feathers
Driving in a winter wonderland
Licking salt off its lips
A young male Moose
Mountain splendour
Moose portrait
Sunshine on a mighty peak
Columbian Ground Squirrel
Baby Barn Owl
See also...
Keywords
Authorizations, license
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217 visits
Mt Lorette Ponds, Kananaskis
Four evenings ago, on 12 August 2016, friend Dorothy phoned and asked if I'd like to go with them to Kananaskis for the day. A last minute decision - and of course I said yes! What a great day we had in the mountains, with perfect weather and so many mushrooms to keep all three of us happy.
When I think how many endless rainy days we have been having the last few weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right.
Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had been seeing a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there.
From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungus to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, it flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed. I only saw one fish in the beautiful clear water - and it was a dead one. However, this pond is stocked with Rainbow Trout (last mention I read about was 800 fish on 30 May 2016). It is so important for people who are fishing there, to obey the rules - certain kinds of bait are not allowed and there is a limit for the number of fish a person can keep. Apparently, some people are ignoring these rules. I guess the rules don't apply to the Osprey : )
"Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id
Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we've had this summer, one could find mushrooms growing anywhere now. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing one of my favourite fungi, Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii - the one that produces small, ruby red droplets on the surface. The individuals we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes.
Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden.
After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a very slow one, as there were mushrooms everywhere! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery.
Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated.
When I think how many endless rainy days we have been having the last few weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right.
Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had been seeing a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there.
From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungus to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, it flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed. I only saw one fish in the beautiful clear water - and it was a dead one. However, this pond is stocked with Rainbow Trout (last mention I read about was 800 fish on 30 May 2016). It is so important for people who are fishing there, to obey the rules - certain kinds of bait are not allowed and there is a limit for the number of fish a person can keep. Apparently, some people are ignoring these rules. I guess the rules don't apply to the Osprey : )
"Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id
Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we've had this summer, one could find mushrooms growing anywhere now. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing one of my favourite fungi, Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii - the one that produces small, ruby red droplets on the surface. The individuals we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes.
Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden.
After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a very slow one, as there were mushrooms everywhere! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery.
Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated.
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