Mountain Chickadee

Exactly two years ago today, on 3 January 2015, the older of my two daughters died suddenly. Hard to believe that two years have passed, when it feels like just yesterday. Miss you so much, Fiona, but I take great comfort in knowing that you are no longer suffering in pain and facing difficult challenges each and every day.

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Not as sharp as I would have liked, so I really hope this is not showing as my main image posted this morning, but I don't often see a Mountain Chickadee. This little guy moved so fast and I was fumbling with gloved hands. Roll on spring, when we can all go gloveless.

"The tiny Mountain Chickadee is a busy presence overhead in the dry evergreen forests of the mountainous West. Often the nucleus in mixed flocks of small birds, Mountain Chickadees flit through high branches, hang upside down to pluck insects or seeds from cones, and give their scolding chick-a-dee call seemingly to anyone who will listen." From AllABoutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Chickadee/id

On 27 December 2016, nine of us took part in the annual Audubon Sheep River/Priddis/Turner Valley Christmas Bird Count. Our time was spent travelling by car, driving the backroads SW of the city and calling in at several farms. I took part in this Count last year but had missed it for a few years before that. I believe I had only ever done it once before, a few years ago (December 2007?), and that time I was with friends covering a different section of the count circle. I remember it as being very slow and extremely unrewarding, This time, like last year, our area was in the centre of the count circle and I'm so glad I decided to go again.

A great stop was at Rod Handfield's place. Some of us go there on botany trips and he always has the best mushrooms and other fungi growing in his forest in the fall. Rod and his wife have such a beautiful cabin there. A Gray Jay gave us a few photo opportunities, which was appreciated. Rod is always so delightfully hospitable!!

Thanks so much, Donna, for driving half of us - so much appreciated! This also meant that we were lucky enough to see two tiny Northern Pygmy-owls after the Count, too. A beautiful sunny day really helped - not all that cold (for Alberta!). A lot of snow everywhere (almost 8"), but that was OK, as we did so little walking. A great day!

I will add the list of species seen, in a comment box below.