Birds of Alberta 9

I was so happy when we came across this Wilson's Snipe a few days ago, at a location where I had taken many photos of it/them the last few years. When I drove past there last week, there was no sign of a Snipe, which was disappointing, as I love to photograph them. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/lifehistory Sunday, 25 May 2014, was the annual May Species Count, and it went really well. There were seven people in my group and we travelled in two vehicles, covering a large area SW of Calgary and W of Priddis. The Count lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the weather was mostly clear but clouded up by noon, with a short shower while we were having lunch at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Heavy clouds for the rest of the day, calm, 9-18°C, with 88km travelled by car. 69 bird species were found, plus 15 White-tailed Deer and two Moose. Most species were seen from far away, but I did manage to get just a few photos of several of the species. A good day : ) Thanks for driving Rob and myself, Phil! Much appreciated! Each year on this Count, a highlight is calling in to see the much sought-after Evening Grosbeaks at Barb Castell's acreage. They didn't let us down, and even gave us some chances to get a few photos. Feeder photos are not my favourite, but we were also able to catch them in the trees, too. After the Count ended, it was pointed out that we could return to the city by one of two different routes. If we had chosen the other route, we would have missed the other highlight of the day - a Great Gray Owl! It didn't stay around for more than a few minutes, as it was busy hunting, but we did manage to get a handful of shots. We also saw a Ring-necked Pheasant in a field, just within camera range. I will add the list (compiled by the Count leader, Gus Yaki), of the 69 bird species seen, for my own memory. It probably won't be of much interest to most of you : ) I should add that I didn't see every single one of these species. Canada Goose-60 ad/30 juv. Gadwall-3 Mallard-19 Blue-winged Teal-16 Cinnamon Teal-2 Northern Shoveler-10 Green-winged Teal-6 Redhead-2 Ring-necked Duck-9 Lesser Scaup-19 Bufflehead-10 Barrow's Goldeneye-2 Ruddy Duck-10 Ring-necked Pheasant-1 heard. Common Loon-1 Pied-billed Grebe-1 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson's Hawk-1 Red-tailed Hawk-7 Sora-5 American Coot-6 Killdeer-3 Spotted Sandpiper-3 Wilson's Snipe-10 Wilson's Phalarope-5 Black Tern-22 Mourning Dove-1 Great Gray Owl-2 Red-naped Sapsucker-1 Downy Woodpecker-1 Northern Flicker-1 Western Wood-Pewee-2 Least Flycatcher-7 Eastern Phoebe-1 Eastern Kingbird-4 Warbling Vireo-1 Blue Jay-7 Black-billed Magpie-8 American Crow-7 Common Raven-6 Tree Swallow-213 Barn Swallow-4 Black-capped Chickadee-12 Mountain Chickadee-5 Boreal Chickadee-2 White-breasted Nuthatch-1 House Wren-7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet-5 Mountain Bluebird-24 American Robin-12 Gray Catbird-2 European Starling-7 Tennessee Warbler-6 Yellow Warbler-3 Northern Waterthrush-1 Chipping Sparrow-9 Clay-colored Sparrow-26 Savannah Sparrow-3 Song Sparrow-2 Dark-eyed Junco-3 Red-winged Blackbird-164 Brewer's Blackbird-11 Common Grackle-8 Brown-headed Cowbird-9 Baltimore Oriole-1 Purple Finch-2 American Goldfinch-1 Evening Grosbeak-15 House Sparrow-4 Red Squirrel-4 Richardson's Ground Squirrel-1 Columbian Ground Squirrel-1 Meadow Vole-1 White-tailed Deer-15 Moose-2

I took so many photos of this Raven - but nearly every time I clicked the shutter, it would turn its head away. Managed to get a handful of shots to keep, though, and this is one of them. These birds are always so fascinating to watch, especially knowing that they are very smart. This one was, of course, looking for food - which it didn't get, I should add! When I see Ravens within the city, they are usually flying overhead or perched near the top of a very tall tree. Out in the mountains, they have, unfortunately, learned to follow people and like to hang out at stopping points., which does make it easier to take photos. Taken on 15 May 2014, during a two day trip to the Canadian Rockies with friends, Cathy and Terry. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id?utm_source=Co... Later: was out doing my volunteer shift today, so I haven't been on Flickr for much of the time. Checked My Contacts' photos just now, and there are hardly any posted. I wonder if there is Flickr problem somewhere, or if people just aren't posting much now that spring/summer is here.

I believe this is the first Purple Finch that I've ever seen, so despite the fact that this is a really bad photo, I wanted to add it to my Birds of Alberta 9 album. This colourful little bird was seen through a chain link fence at Barb Castell's property. It gave us just a couple of quick chances for a photo. Taken on 25 May 2014, when a small group of seven of us covered the roads SW of Calgary, and W of Priddis, for the annual May Species Count. Barb has such a great garden with feeders and we look forward each year to visiting her on our count. Evening Grosbeaks are almost a guarantee there, at certain times of the year, so we really appreciate Barb letting us come and see them. Total of 69 bird species were seen on this Count day. "The Purple Finch is the bird that Roger Tory Peterson famously described as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” For many of us, they’re irregular winter visitors to our feeders, although these chunky, big-beaked finches do breed in northern North America and the West Coast. Separating them from House Finches requires a careful look, but the reward is a delicately colored, cleaner version of that red finch. Look for them in forests, too, where you’re likely to hear their warbling song from the highest parts of the trees." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/purple_finch/id?utm_source=Co... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_finch

Came across this photo taken back on 27 April 2014, that I hadn't posted before. Not the greatest shot, but too cute to get buried on my hard drive. Taken in Fish Creek Park just a few days before these two Great Horned Owlets fledged. We were surprised because, compared to last year's owlets, these new ones did very little wing practice while still at the top of the nesting tree. Posting later than usual today, around 11:30 a.m.). Overslept again (till 11:30 a.m.) thanks to the muscle relaxant pills I'm having to take as part of the treatment for inflammation (and hopefully not a tear!) of the rotator cuffs in my shoulders. I'm already taking only half the dose my doctor prescribed, as I just can't function on the full dose.

25 May 2014 was the annual May Species Count, which went really well. There were seven people in my group and we travelled in two vehicles, covering a large area SW of Calgary and W of Priddis. The Count lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the weather was mostly clear but clouded up by noon, with a short shower while we were having lunch at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Heavy clouds for the rest of the day, calm, 9-18°C, with 88km travelled by car. 69 bird species were found, plus 15 White-tailed Deer and two Moose. A good day! Thanks for the ride, Phil! Much appreciated! Each year on this Count, a highlight is calling in to see the much sought-after Evening Grosbeaks at Barb Castell's acreage. They didn't let us down, and even gave us some chances to get a few photos. They were a fair distance away and seemed to be constantly on the move, so I didn't get any photos that were particularly good. However, when it comes to Evening Grosbeaks, I'll take anything I can get : ) After the Count ended, it was pointed out that we could return to the city by one of two different routes. If we had chosen the other route, we would have missed the other highlight of the day - a Great Gray Owl! It didn't stay around for long, as it was busy hunting, but we did manage to get a handful of quick shots. We also saw a Ring-necked Pheasant in a field, just within camera range. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/evening_grosbeak/id

Sunday, 25 May 2014, was the annual May Species Count, and it went really well. There were seven people in my group and we travelled in two vehicles, covering a large area SW of Calgary and W of Priddis. The Count lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the weather was mostly clear but clouded up by noon, with a short shower while we were having lunch at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Heavy clouds for the rest of the day, calm, 9-18°C, with 88km travelled by car. 69 bird species were found, plus 15 White-tailed Deer and two Moose. Most species were seen from far away, but I did manage to get just a few photos of several of the species. A good day! Thanks for driving Rob and myself, Phil! Much appreciated! Each year on this Count, a highlight is calling in to see the much sought-after Evening Grosbeaks at Barb Castell's acreage. They didn't let us down, and even gave us some chances to get a few photos. Feeder photos are not my favourite, but we were also able to catch them in the trees, too. After the Count ended, it was pointed out that we could return to the city by one of two different routes. If we had chosen the other route, we would have missed the other highlight of the day - this Great Gray Owl! It didn't stay around for long, as it was busy hunting, but we did manage to get a handful of shots. We also saw a Ring-necked Pheasant in a field, just within camera range. Complete list of the 69 bird species can be seen at the following link (posted mainly for my own reference): www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/14096887518/

Not one of the better shots I took yesterday, but it's the only one I got of this very brief sharing moment. The female (Mom) on the left flew closer to the male (Dad) and gave him some of the insect (or spider, I think) that she had just caught. Looks like he was only able to grab one leg of the spider, but I guess a little is better than none. This was the only time they shared food while I was watching. The other times, they either ate the insects themselves or they were given straight away to their babies inside the nesting box. A lot of the time, this Mountain Bluebird pair kept their eyes on their close neighbours - several Tree Swallows., who were nesting in the next box. Taken on 7 June 2014, along one of the backroads SW of Calgary. In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...

A really, really BAD photo, I know, but this is the first (and very quick!) shot I've taken of a Tennessee Warbler, and I wanted to add it to my Birds of Alberta 9 album. Sunday, 25 May 2014, was the annual May Species Count, and it went really well. There were seven people in my group and we travelled in two vehicles, covering a large area SW of Calgary and W of Priddis. The Count lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the weather was mostly clear but clouded up by noon, with a short shower while we were having lunch at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. This was when we saw this little Tennessee Warbler, not far from the parking lot. Heavy clouds for the rest of the day, calm, 9-18°C, with 88km travelled by car. 69 bird species were found, plus 15 White-tailed Deer and two Moose. Most species were seen from far away, but I did manage to get just a few photos of several of the species. A good day!

This little male Mountain Bluebird must feel blue every day, but yesterday made quite a few of us feel blue, too. In the afternoon, four of us met up to go for a botany walk in North Weaselhead. Shortly before we were supposed to start, a lady came over to us in the parking lot, to let us know that our leader, Karel Bergmann, had just been in an accident. She said that he was so concerned about the rest of us wondering where he was, that she very kindly offered to find us and give us the news. I had seen a fire truck blocking the road, and so had turned up the road just before the one I needed, but of course never dreamt that it was there to help Karel. He was riding his motorcycle, when a young man (who was very upset over the accident, apparently) turned in front of him, cutting him off. Karel's leg was broken, which means that he will be missing the joys of summer - and we will be without a great leader for plants and mushrooms. We are all so thankful that the accident wasn't worse than it was! Good luck with your recovery, Karel! It will be so good to have you back with us once your leg has healed. This photo was taken SW of the city, on 7 June 2014. Such a "cooperative" little guy, which I really appreciated. In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...