Yesterday's walk in Fish Creek Park
Red barn in winter
Whites and blues of winter
A white world
Deer on the horizon
Old barns in the foothills
Winter's beauty
A view from yesterday
Our last morning on island of Trinidad
With more big storms to come
A beautiful day in Weaselhead
Rolling hills from the Whaleback
Prairie life in winter
Winter beauty
Ghost Reservoir
A memory of Waterton from before the fire
A rural "winter" scene
Goodbye, winter - so glad you are gone!
Remembering winter
Smokey Eagle Lake
Yesterday's Chinook Arch
Heading into the mountains
Early fall, looking (and feeling) like winter
Tundra Swans in flight
Looking into the sun
Two of my favourite things
Clouds over Chain Lakes
Into the sun at Pine Coulee Reservoir
Rural decay down south
On the way to Chain Lakes
A view from Chain Lakes
Beauty of winter (well, late fall)
Day 6, Hotel Tadoussac, Quebec
Fall colour in Kananaskis
Barn with the fallen cupola
King of silos
One of my favourite barns
A country scene
Autumn in Alberta
New "barn", Granary Road
Alberta foothills in the fall
Morning sun over Pine Coulee Reservoir
Storm clouds near the city
Early morning sunrise over the mountains
Part of the same shelf cloud
Beneath the cloud
Old granaries on the prairie
Yesterday's storm
Once a home
Fish Creek Park on a low-light day
A mountain meadow, Kananaskis, Alberta
Old homestead, Alberta
Heading for the mountains on a hazy morning
Lenticular (?) clouds over the mountains
Pine Coulee Reservoir, Alberta
Pine Coulee Reservoir, Alberta
In the middle of nowhere - spot the truck
Sheep on a smoky day
Wide angle on the Bighorn Sheep ridge
A different view from Maskinonge lookout, Waterton
Cacti on Little Tobago, Day 3
Logging piles in the Porcupine Hills
Cattle drive - and a few old barns and sheds
Dreaming of spring
Old prairie barn
Winter textures
Winter in the Nanton, Alberta, area
Non-wild horses in a wild landscape
The beautiful mountains of Alberta
Afternoon light on the foothills
Our beautiful Alberta
Nanton Christmas Bird Count
A well looked after barn
Red's the best in winter
Sharples grain elevator
01 The glory of fall
Distant haze
Our beautiful foothills on an overcast day
Across the river
The long road south
Above the tree line
Fading into the distance
Gottlob Schmidt's Antelope Hill Ranch
Antelope Hill Provincial Park
01 Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Beautiful old house in the hills
The difference the sun makes
Prince of Wales hotel, Waterton
The reward for getting up early
One mighty beast, Bison Paddock, Waterton N P
Waterton Lakes National Park
Hike on Erik Butters' beautiful land
Along a country back road
Another view at William J Bagnall Wildlife Park
A white barn from yesterday
William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park
See also...
Sheep River Christmas Bird Counts, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Sheep River Christmas Bird Counts, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
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Glorious scenery for a Christmas Bird Count!
The three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 27 December 2017, when six of us (in the group I was in) took part in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the Sheep River/Priddis/Turner Valley area. Our time was spent travelling in two cars, driving the back roads SW of the city and calling in at various acreages/ farms. Thanks so much, Joe and Dave, for being the two drivers. This was so much appreciated! With brutally cold temperatures for days, and wind chills plunging to as low as -37C, and lots of snow, we were thankful that only part of the day was spent out of the car! Last night, we had more snow, so I will need to clear off my car before tomorrow's Bird Count way north of the city. Not a good forecast for tomorrow - overcast with more snow.
Another three or four days of this bitter weather and things are forecast to warm up, thank goodness.
I took part in this Count for 2015 and 2016, but had missed it for a few years before that. I believe I had only ever done it twice before that, a few years ago (December 2007 and December 30, 2008). 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 very occasionally 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. Rod is always so wonderfully hospitable, and yesterday, he had driven out to the cabin and had delicious coffee and baked goods ready for us! This was so much appreciated and enjoyed, and I know that I, for one, felt re-energized after this treat and being able to warm up in his home. As always, many thanks, Rod!
We met with nothing but pleasant landowners, so willing to allow us to wander their properties. One of them, Doug J, had the highlight of the day for us - a Steller's Jay! The status of the Steller's Jay in Alberta is "locally uncommon year-round". They are spotted most often in the Rocky Mountains. Waterton Lakes National Park seems to be the best area for these stunning birds.
Another welcome sighting was a group of 10 Wild Turkeys at a location where we have previously seen them. Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls helped make the day enjoyable, too, along with the 'regulars', including Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Canada Geese, and three types of Chickadee. Everything seen in such spectacular scenery, too. I love this whole area and, thankfully, it is an area that I can drive to myself. Needless to say, I know I am very lucky. By the way, we briefly stopped and looked down a hill to see one of the 'sets' for the TV series, "Heartland". This is a real-life farm, including the big, red barn.
Another three or four days of this bitter weather and things are forecast to warm up, thank goodness.
I took part in this Count for 2015 and 2016, but had missed it for a few years before that. I believe I had only ever done it twice before that, a few years ago (December 2007 and December 30, 2008). 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 very occasionally 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. Rod is always so wonderfully hospitable, and yesterday, he had driven out to the cabin and had delicious coffee and baked goods ready for us! This was so much appreciated and enjoyed, and I know that I, for one, felt re-energized after this treat and being able to warm up in his home. As always, many thanks, Rod!
We met with nothing but pleasant landowners, so willing to allow us to wander their properties. One of them, Doug J, had the highlight of the day for us - a Steller's Jay! The status of the Steller's Jay in Alberta is "locally uncommon year-round". They are spotted most often in the Rocky Mountains. Waterton Lakes National Park seems to be the best area for these stunning birds.
Another welcome sighting was a group of 10 Wild Turkeys at a location where we have previously seen them. Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls helped make the day enjoyable, too, along with the 'regulars', including Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Canada Geese, and three types of Chickadee. Everything seen in such spectacular scenery, too. I love this whole area and, thankfully, it is an area that I can drive to myself. Needless to say, I know I am very lucky. By the way, we briefly stopped and looked down a hill to see one of the 'sets' for the TV series, "Heartland". This is a real-life farm, including the big, red barn.
Cheryl Kelly (cher12861 on flickr), Yves Saulnier, Pam J, neira-Dan have particularly liked this photo
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