Canon SX60

Before posting any further snowy photos, I thought I had better add a few different images. I can't wait for spring to arrive, bringing with it the return of the Wilson's Snipe. Having said that, I can't complain about the weather we have been having. A fair amount of sun, and no bitterly cold temperatures. This morning, it is only 0C, and supposed to rise to 6C this afternoon. Have various important errands I have to run, otherwise I would jump in my car and go for a drive. One thing is to sort out setting up an ipad mini that I just bought - never had a smart phone or any kind of tablet, so this is all foreign to me and I have to go back to the store/hotspot. Anyone who can do this easily deserves a medal!! Late afternoon on 5 May 2017, I dragged myself away from my computer and went for just a short drive SW of the city. The weather forecast was for sun and cloud, but it was far too cloudy for good light. I was hoping to see Mountain Bluebirds, but I only saw a couple of them and they were in flight. A Wilson's Snipe, one of my favourite birds to see and photograph, was already there, perched on a fence post, so I came home happy. This photo was taken from driver's seat, looking through passenger seat window. Why do newer vehicles have a huge console in the front, so that one can't slide across to the other seat?! Manufacturers need to be considerate to Birders, lol! "Though the long tradition of “snipe hunt” pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Snipe/id According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military." youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q

This female (or juvenile, because they both have dark streaking) Snowy Owl was contentedly perched on this rather ugly fence rail, looking like s/he was almost asleep. This was the first Snowy that we came across yesterday, 13 January 2018, when a group of us went east of the city in search of owls and anything else. Later, we saw another three Snowies before it was time for the friend I was riding with to get back to the city, as he had some final preparations to get done before heading off on a trip today. After we had left the rest of the group, we came across a fifth Snowy, perched on a piece of machinery in a field. A nice treat before we headed back to civilization. I heard later that the rest of the group saw a total of seven Snowy Owls, as they stayed out for the whole afternoon. This winter doesn't seem to be a good year for these owls. Some years, the Internet is full of photos of these spectacular visitors, but this year I'm not seeing many. Thanks so much for the ride, Tony - so much appreciated, as always. After all the frigid weather we have had so far this winter, yesterday felt balmy. Actually, I'm not sure what the temperature was, but it must have been above 0C. There was no cold wind and it just felt pleasant. The sun was shining and the sky was full of 'good' clouds. Not sure why almost all my photos were too blurry to keep - maybe the light wasn't as good as I thought it was. However, I did get a shot of each of the owls, so I'm happy. A few other bird species were also seen, including Common Redpolls and Horned Larks, one Gray Partridge, Magpies, etc.. Tony also spotted a Prairie Falcon on our way back to the city. Many thanks, Terry, as usual, for taking us on this owl prowl. It was a great trip and, especially for those who had never seen a Snowy Owl before, a most amazing experience. As with any kind of owl, it doesn't matter how many one sees, I always find each time is as awesome as the very first time. We are back to scattered flurries for this afternoon, 14 January 2018, but our temperature is a reasonable -2C (windchill -4C). The next three days are expected to be good, but then the forecast is for a couple of snowy days.

On 13 January 2018, I went with a group east of the city, to look for Snowy Owls, especially. This winter doesn't seem to be a good year for these owls, though we were very lucky on this outing. Some years, the Internet is full of photos of these spectacular visitors, but this year I'm not seeing many. Thanks so much for the ride, Tony - so much appreciated, as always. I took a photo of the closest Snowy Owl and then it flew across the field and landed again. Someone spotted a tiny white speck in the distance behind this owl - a second one, another gorgeous male! (This is a highly zoomed photo). These owls were owls #2 and 3 of the four we saw by lunchtime. Part way into the afternoon, Tony and I had to head back to the city, but we did see another owl on the way home. The rest of the group saw three other Snowies after we left, making a complete total of 8 birds. After all the frigid weather we have had so far this winter, this day felt balmy. Actually, I'm not sure what the temperature was, but it must have been above 0C. There was no cold wind and it just felt pleasant. The sun was shining and the sky was full of 'good' clouds. Not sure why almost all my photos were too blurry to keep - maybe the light wasn't as good as I thought it was. However, I did get a shot of each of the owls, so I'm happy. A few other bird species were also seen, including Common Redpolls and Horned Larks, Gray Partridge, Magpies, etc.. Tony also spotted a Prairie Falcon on our way back to the city. I will add Terry's list of birds seen by the end of the day in a comment box below. Many thanks, Terry, as usual, for taking us on this owl prowl. It was a great trip and, especially for those who had never seen a Snowy Owl before, a most amazing experience. As with any kind of owl, it doesn't matter how many one sees, I always find each time is as awesome as the very first time.

This was Snowy Owl number 4 that we came across three days ago, on 13 January 2018, when a group of us went east of the city in search of owls and anything else. This was the last Snowy that friend Tony and I saw before it was time for us to get back to the city, as he had some final preparations to get done before heading off on a trip. After we had left the rest of the group, we came across a fifth Snowy, perched on a piece of machinery in a field. A nice treat before we headed back to civilization. I heard later that the rest of the group saw a total of seven Snowy Owls, as they stayed out for the whole afternoon. Despite seeing a total of 8 Snowies on this day, this winter doesn't seem to be a good year for these owls. Some years, the Internet is full of photos of these spectacular visitors, but this year I'm not seeing many. Thanks so much for the ride, Tony - so much appreciated, as always. After all the frigid weather we have had so far this winter, this day felt balmy. Actually, I'm not sure what the temperature was, but it must have been above 0C. There was no cold wind and it just felt pleasant. The sun was shining and the sky was full of 'good' clouds. Not sure why almost all my photos were too blurry to keep - maybe the light wasn't as good as I thought it was. However, I did get a shot of each of the owls, so I'm happy. A few other bird species were also seen, including Common Redpolls and Horned Larks, Gray Partridge, Magpies, etc.. Tony also spotted a Prairie Falcon on our way back to the city. Many thanks, Terry, as usual, for taking us on this owl prowl. It was a great trip and, especially for those who had never seen a Snowy Owl before, a most amazing experience. As with any kind of owl, it doesn't matter how many one sees, I always find each time is as awesome as the very first time.

Talk about a lucky weekend for Great Gray Owls - just what the doctor ordered! One individual seen on Saturday and then two different individuals seen on Sunday, 11 March 2018. The owl in this photo was taken on the Saturday, when a Great Gray Owl was sitting in a bare tree, giving a chance for several shots before it flew off and landed in a more distant area of woodland. And there it sat, and sat, and sat, partly hidden by a tangle of too many tiny branches. If only they would choose trees with no branches that get in the way, lol! On the Sunday, I decided to go with a group of friends for the first part of their day's outing. The rest of their day was going to be a walk in an area that is treacherous in winter, as well as being a long hike. The very last thing I need at the moment is to break an arm or a leg - or anything. I am so glad I got up early and started the day with them, as we ended up seeing two separate Great Gray Owls. The first owl was perched in a group of trees and then flew to a tree that was somewhat closer to us. It is always amazing to see such a large owl perched on a very thin branch/twig, showing that most of the bird is a mass of light-weight feathers. The second owl, seen in the third photo I have posted today, was at first perched in a tree that had beautiful dead leaves, adding a welcome splash of colour. The light was challenging, but at least it wasn't snowing. A few minutes later, it flew off and landed on the top of a far-away evergreen tree. Again, the light was a challenge. After parting from my friends, I had to drive past this location again and was happy to see the owl still in the same distant tree. I waited a little while, hoping it might fly and land closer, but it seemed perfectly happy staying exactly where it was. I was just in time to get back to the city and join a different group of friends for a walk at Mallard Point in Fish Creek. Park. The birds we saw were too far away for any decent photos - but I didn't need any, after such an amazing owl morning. After the walk, we headed for Tim Horton's for late afternoon coffee and snack. Just being outdoors on such a lovely, sunny, comparatively mild day felt good.

I have added a previously posted photo in a comment box below. That photo was already taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm. Using a different camera, I was able to zoom in much more for the above photo, taken from exactly the same spot. So difficult/impossible to hold the camera steady, so I don't use it very often, but I was curious to see what kind of photo I could get. Not the sharpest, that's for sure, but I thought I would post it anyway, to show just how far away the owl was, even though it looks like I am standing very close to the bird. "The great grey owl or great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) is a very large owl, documented as the world's largest species of owl by length..... In terms of length, the great grey owl is believed to exceed the Eurasian eagle-owl and the Blakiston's fish owl as the world's largest owl. The great grey is outweighed by those two species as well as several others, including most of the Bubo genus. Much of its size is deceptive, since this species' fluffy feathers, large head and the longest tail of any extant owl obscure a body lighter than that of most other large owls. The length ranges from 61 to 84 cm (24 to 33 in), averaging 72 cm (28 in) for females and 67 cm (26 in) for males. The wingspan can exceed 152 cm (5 ft 0 in), but averages 142 cm (4 ft 8 in) for females and 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) for males. The adult weight ranges from 580 to 1,900 g (1.28 to 4.19 lb), averaging 1,290 g (2.84 lb) for females and 1,000 g (2.2 lb) for males. The males are usually smaller than females, as with most owl species." From Wikipedia. The link below shows how small the skeleton is, compared to the size of the bird. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl Talk about a lucky weekend for Great Gray Owls - just what the doctor ordered! One individual seen on the Saturday and then two different individuals seen on Sunday, 11 March 2018. On Sunday, I decided to follow a group of friends for the first part of their day's outing. The rest of their day was going to be a walk in an area that is treacherous in winter, as well as being a long hike. The very last thing I need at the moment is to break an arm or a leg - or anything. I am so glad I got up early and started the day with them, as we ended up seeing two separate Great Gray Owls. The first owl (not this photo) was perched in a group of trees and then flew to a tree that was closer to us. It is always amazing to see such a large owl perched on a very thin branch/twig, showing that most of the bird is a mass of light-weight feathers. The second owl, seen in this photo, was at first perched in a tree that had beautiful, dead leaves, adding a welcome splash of colour. The light was challenging, but at least it wasn't snowing. A few minutes later, it flew off and landed in a far-away evergreen tree (seen in this photo). Again, the light was a challenge, but I managed to rescue a few shots. After parting from my friends, I had to drive past this location again and was happy to see the second owl still in the same distant tree. I waited a little while, hoping it might fly and land closer, but it seemed perfectly happy staying exactly where it was. I was just in time to get back to the city and join a different group of friends for a walk at Mallard Point in Fish Creek. Park. The birds we saw were too far away for any decent photos - but I didn't need any, after such an amazing owl morning. After the walk, we headed for Tim Horton's for late afternoon coffee and snack. Just being outdoors on such a lovely, sunny, comparatively mild day felt good.

Interesting, I don't usually follow Stats this closely, but I just happened to notice that I have just suddenly lost about 1,000 views for today. I have read others' comments about this happening, but don't remember noticing it with my own stats before. I could tell that there was something "wrong", anyway, as the graph is barely moving. If you only knew how far away this Great Gray Owl was! The far side of a field, perched on top of a very tall, wooden power pole. From that distance, the owl looked like part of the pole itself, and I'm sure I would never have noticed it by myself. Thought I would try a heavily zoomed in shot, despite the distance and the overcast sky. One or two photos came out well enough to keep, but the rest need to be deleted. The colour of the owl's plumage is not really accurate. This was the first of three Great Gray Owls that I photographed on 21 March 2018. There is still so much deep snow in the fields and there could be a crust on top after the recent melting and freezing. Also, apparently, so few Meadow Vole tracks have been seen this winter, so maybe food is in shorter supply. I didn't see any of the owls dive down in an attempt to catch a snack, but they were all sharply focused on hunting. "The great grey owl or great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) is a very large owl, documented as the world's largest species of owl by length..... In terms of length, the great grey owl is believed to exceed the Eurasian eagle-owl and the Blakiston's fish owl as the world's largest owl. The great grey is outweighed by those two species as well as several others, including most of the Bubo genus. Much of its size is deceptive, since this species' fluffy feathers, large head and the longest tail of any extant owl obscure a body lighter than that of most other large owls. The length ranges from 61 to 84 cm (24 to 33 in), averaging 72 cm (28 in) for females and 67 cm (26 in) for males. The wingspan can exceed 152 cm (5 ft 0 in), but averages 142 cm (4 ft 8 in) for females and 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) for males. The adult weight ranges from 580 to 1,900 g (1.28 to 4.19 lb), averaging 1,290 g (2.84 lb) for females and 1,000 g (2.2 lb) for males. The males are usually smaller than females, as with most owl species." From Wikipedia. The link below shows how small the skeleton is, compared to the size of the bird. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl I thought the weather was supposed to be sunny on this day, but it was overcast, at least while I was there. Yesterday was even worse, with dense fog. More snow was expected and it arrived yesterday afternoon. I had a very important appointment to go to in the afternoon, plus I had to remove my car from the parking lot for five hours, so that at least some of the snow and ice could be removed. No street parking without a permit, so I knew I had five hours to kill. In the end, I decided to drive out of the city, but after maybe five minutes of driving on a major highway, I knew I had made a foolish mistake. I couldn't see any other vehicles or even much of the road ahead of me, because of the fog. In the end, I had to turn up a back road, as it would have been very dangerous to try and cut across several lanes when I could see absolutely nothing. It was a relief when I finally reached home. This week has been full of appointments of one kind or another, so convenient time has been very limited. This afternoon, I have to get my Taxes seen to, and that will be great to get out of the way. Hoping to get out with my camera at the weekend, though. Our temperature this morning is plus 2C and the sun is shining.

On 24 March 2018, I went with a group of about 20 fellow-birders for a day of birding west of the city. Not the greatest weather and there was not a huge variety of bird species. However, it was great to be out in beautiful mountain scenery. Places we stopped at included Seebe Dam, where we saw several Trumpeter Swans and a pair of Bald Eagles; Exshaw; Harvey Heights; Canmore town, where we saw a Pileated Woodpecker; and we also walked the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk Trail in Canmore. Thanks, Andrew, for a very enjoyable day out. Thanks so much, Anne B, for driving two of us all day - greatly appreciated!

On 24 March 2018, I went with a group of about 20 fellow-birders for a day of birding west of the city. Not the greatest weather and there was not a huge variety of bird species. However, it was great to be out in beautiful mountain scenery. Places we stopped at included Seebe Dam, where we saw several Trumpeter Swans and a pair of Bald Eagles; Exshaw; Harvey Heights; Canmore town, where we saw a Pileated Woodpecker; and we also walked the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk Trail in Canmore. Thanks, Andrew, for a very enjoyable day out. Thanks so much, Anne B, for driving two of us all day - greatly appreciated!