Birds of Alberta 9
12 Jul 2014
1 favorite
Vesper Sparrow
Usually when I see a small bird standing on a fence post, it's a Savannah Sparrow. This bird seems to be lacking yellow "eyebrows" and has a white outer edge to it's tail feathers. The pattern on its cheeks does not look familiar to me, but maybe it's a female or a juvenile "something". I'm not good at Sparrow ID, but I checked my bird book and did a quick look on Google. Any help with ID would be greatly appreciated! It was seen yesterday (12 July 2014) , SE of Calgary, in the Frank Lake area.
My first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details. Will lighten one or two of them and see if that works. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis, but I lucked out later, finding a lone Ibis at a slough somewhere around the lake. Also saw a couple of small birds that I'm not sure of the ID for, along the country backroads. Posted this one today and will upload a very poor photo of the other sometime soon.
12 Jul 2014
1 favorite
I saw a Sora
These shorebirds are so hard to photograph - they move quickly in and out and through the cattails and other water plants. Always surprises me just how small they are - in my mind, they are larger. Saw this one and presumably its mate, SE of the city yesterday, 12 July 2014. These birds tend to be heard rather than seen, and I was determined to try and get at least one shot that was half OK. Well, I got more than half this bird before it ran past me through the water, showing nothing but a rear view. Took lots of shots, but most will need to be deleted : ) Happy to get any kind of photo, though. It was fun watching how they go about collecting insects for their young ones - they were hidden in amongst the Cattails and dense water plants, so I could hear them, but not see them.
My first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details. Will lighten one or two of them and see if that works. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis, but I lucked out later, finding a lone Ibis at a slough somewhere around the lake. Also saw a couple of small birds that I'm not sure of the ID for, along the country backroads. Posted one of them today and will upload a very poor photo of the other sometime soon.
"A small, secretive bird of freshwater marshes, the Sora is the most common and widely distributed rail in North America. Its distinctive descending whinny call can be easily heard from the depths of the cattails, but actually seeing the little marsh-walker is much more difficult." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sora/id
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sora_ (bird)
12 Jul 2014
2 favorites
White-faced Ibis - very rare in Alberta
These are such spectacular birds, with their beautiful, colourful, iridescent plumage. I always think they look as if they have escaped from the Zoo. Usually when I see them, they are flying high or else down in the mud way off in the distance. Various friends had been lucky enough to get even closer shots than this one, but I was really happy to spot this lone Ibis on a small slough near Frank Lake. Full zoom meant that some of the habitat was included.
Two days ago, 12 July 2014, I spent a few hours in the late afternoon till mid-evening, driving just a few of the backroads SE of the city, in the Frank Lake area. I had been there the day before, too, and just couldn't resist a few more hours there. Some of the fields were aglow with vibrant yellow Canola crops, which I look forward to every year. The sun was shining, but it was such a hazy day, I believe from the large forest fires in the next province to our west (British Columbia).
My first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis were in the area, but I lucked out later, finding this lone Ibis at a slough. The Barn Swallows are vicious at the moment, dive-bombing anyone who approaches the blind! You not only hear them as they whoosh past your head, you also feel them! Hang on to your camera if you take photos from inside the blind, as they will continue to dive-bomb. It's too bad, as they really don't make it very pleasant for people. Also saw a couple of small birds that I'm not sure of the ID for, along the country backroads. Posted one of them yesterday and will upload a very poor photo of the other sometime soon.
"A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds.
In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis
12 Jul 2014
3 favorites
Eared Grebe with young one
I love these Eared Grebes, with their bright red eyes that look like red buttons. They are only small, 28–34 centimetres (11–13 in) long. I spent a while trying to photograph several of them at Frank Lake (SE of Calgary) two days ago, 12 July 2014. I say "trying", as they are fairly fast swimmers, who like to keep changing direction and who were almost constantly diving for food. They were also preening most of the time. There were a handful of young ones, too, looking cute in their light grey feathers.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eared_Grebe/id
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-necked_Grebe
Two days ago, 12 July 2014, I spent a few hours in the late afternoon till mid-evening, driving just a few of the backroads SE of the city, in the Frank Lake area. I had been there the day before, too, and just couldn't resist a few more hours there. Some of the fields were aglow with vibrant yellow Canola crops, which I look forward to every year. The sun was shining, but it was such a hazy day, I believe from the large forest fires in the next province to our west (British Columbia).
My first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details, unless the sun happened to catch the golden "ear" feathers. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis were in the area, but I lucked out later, finding this lone Ibis at a slough. The Barn Swallows are vicious at the moment, dive-bombing anyone who approaches the blind! You not only hear them as they whoosh past your head, you also feel them! Hang on to your camera if you take photos from inside the blind, as they will continue to dive-bomb. It's too bad, as they really don't make it very pleasant for people. Also saw a couple of small birds that I'm not sure of the ID for, along the country backroads. Posted one of them yesterday and will upload a very poor photo of the other sometime soon.
I see that, on Flickr, one can no longer click and open a link that's included in one's own description. Instead, it works if one right clicks on the link and then opens in a "new tab". Why on earth did they change from just one simple click?!
14 Jul 2014
1 favorite
Oh, so cute
Two days ago, 16 July 2014, it was another hot day, and my computer room became unbearably uncomfortable. That meant only one thing - I would have to drive around in my car for some air-conditioning. Spent about four hours cruising the backroads SW of the city, not seeing a whole lot. Went as far as Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, with the intention of doing just a very short walk into the forest. Didn't get that far, though, as there were things to photograph around the edge of the tiny parking lot and just part way along the path that leads to the two short boardwalks.
The first thing I saw and heard was a Tennessee Warbler and when I reached it, discovered that there were now several young ones, too. Talk about friendly little birds - not sure that they didn't think I was going to feed them. Interesting to see birds that acted rather like the Black-capped Chickadees - just as fast-moving, too, making it difficult to get even a half-decent photo.
The next thing that welcomed me to the park was a beautiful, bright orange Western Wood Lily. They always almost glow amongst all the greenery. A few other plants that I photographed included Sticky Purple Geranium and Richardson's Geranium, Purple Avens, One-flowered WIntergreen, One-sided Wintergreen, Pink Pyrola, Twin Flower, Creamy Peavine, Bishop's Cap (already in seed), and Round-leaved Orchid.
On the way home from Brown-Lowery, I saw a couple of fun things. One was a Wilson's Snipe on a wooden post to which was attached a Bluebird/Tree Swallow nesting box. I've never seen one by a nesting box before. The other thing I saw was a Ruffed Grouse female walking along the side of the main road. Didn't realize what it was until I had driven past it. Did a quick U-turn and, rounding a bend, saw not just the adult standing on the road, but also a young one. I pulled over to the edge of the road and very slowly walked a little closer - then I noticed about four other youngsters in the grass. Mom walked very slowly to the middle of the road and one brave little soul took a few very hesitant steps towards her. It wasn't quite sure that it liked being that far out in the open, so started to return to its siblings. This was repeated a few times, with me becoming more anxious that a car was bound to come racing down the road at any minute. Another of the babies tried to take a few brave steps - which is when a vehicle appeared. With Mom and two of her babies (seen in the photo above) on the road, where they'd been for maybe 10 minutes, I just had to signal to the driver, who slowed down, waited a moment, and then got out of her car and loudly clapped her hands. Off they all flew, into the long grass. I suspect she was a country girl - and not a photographer, lol! If only she had scared them off to the side of the road that they had been trying to get to! And so ended my fun experience ..... and I returned to my house, that felt like walking into an oven.
The weather forecast for today, 16 July 2014, is 31C (feeling like 33C) this afternoon. It's already 26C this morning. I have a volunteer shift today, so at least I will have a few hours in air-conditioning (though not very efficient).
16 Jul 2014
2 favorites
Wilson's Snipe - what a beauty
Love seeing and photographing Wilson Snipes, especially when they are perched on a fence post rather than on the ground. This Snipe was not one of my usual ones, which made a nice change. It was seen yesterday, 16 July 2014, when I took a drive along some of the backroads SW of the city.
Temperatures got up to around 32C or 33C yesterday afternoon. My desk thermometer said it was 32C in my computer room, so I knew I just had to get out for a while, to enjoy the air-conditioning in my car. The backroads SW of the city come in handy when I don't have a lot of time, and I can usually find something of interest to photograph. This gorgeous Snipe was sitting on a fence post along one of the backroads, right before I was about to turn on to Highway 22X. They are fairly small birds and I only noticed it at the last minute. Fortunately, there were no other cars behind me, so I was able to reverse till the Snipe was level with my car. I had to shoot from the driver's side - could have got an even closer shot if I had been sitting on the passenger seat : )
"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
"Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe
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
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH from Weather Network, for afternoon of 17 July 2014:
"Severe thunderstorm conditions possible - afternoon to evening. Conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms that may be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, damaging hail and heavy rain. There is also a risk of a tornado. A warm and humid airmass in Southern and east-central Alberta has the potential to produce severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop early this afternoon in the Red Deer, Airdrie, and Drumheller regions and then spread eastward into the Hanna, Brooks and Medicine Hat regions. As the severe thunderstorms develop, there is an increased risk for tornadoes to develop in the Drumheller and Hanna regions this afternoon."
16 Jul 2014
1 favorite
Birds on a wire
There was a family of several of these beautiful Mourning Doves the other day, 16 July 2014, along one of the gravel roads just within the SW city limits. I've never yet seen one perched on a fence post, but always way up on a high wire. Not as sharp as I would have liked.
"A graceful, slender-tailed, small-headed dove that’s common across the continent. Mourning Doves perch on telephone wires and forage for seeds on the ground; their flight is fast and bullet straight. Their soft, drawn-out calls sound like laments. When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying. Mourning Doves are the most frequently hunted species in North America.
The Mourning Dove is the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America. Every year hunters harvest more than 20 million, but the Mourning Dove remains one of our most abundant birds with a U.S. population estimated at 350 million. The oldest known Mourning Dove was 31 years 4 months old." From AllABoutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mourning_dove/lifehistory
Temperatures got up to around 32C or 33C three days ago. My desk thermometer said it was 32C in my computer room, so I knew I just had to get out for a while, to enjoy the air-conditioning in my car. The backroads SW of the city come in handy when I don't want to spend too much time on a drive, and I can usually find something of interest to photograph. Didn't see a whole lot this time, though I did see a Swainson's Hawk perched on a high power pole and the gorgeous Wilson's Snipe that I posted the day before yesterday. Think the Hawk must have been the same one that I have photographed before. It was just so laid back, letting me walk past it along the gravel road, so that I wasn't looking into the sun. Now if only it would perch on a fence post instead : )
Today, the sun is shining, but there are some grey clouds up there. I predict rain - the reason is that yesterday, I washed my car for the first time in several months, and after I've done this, it almost always rains (or snows). My arms and shoulders have been just too painful to do this before, but I managed OK yesterday. I have two long drives coming up in the next little while (both of which I've never done before - yikes!), so I wanted to get rid of the awful build-up of dried mud and gravel dust. Driving the gravel backroads, which I love to do, means that I rarely have a clean car :)
12 Jul 2014
1 favorite
Juvenile European Starling
Thanks to Jack Hayden who identified this as a juvenile European Starling. I don't think I've ever seen a juvenile before, lol! Couldn't resist the Canola field bokeh : )
On 12 July 2014, my first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details properly. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis, but I lucked out later, finding a lone Ibis at a slough somewhere around the lake.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/european_starling/id
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_starling
20 Jul 2014
1 favorite
I'm in awe, no matter how many I see
Yesterday, 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before. I had been that route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre. We came across Dee (rockymtnchick) and her partner, there to see the owls. Great to see you both!
This year, there were fewer birds, but it was great to see any at all. This year, there was a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, the beautiful Great Horned Owl in the above photo, and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone.
This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley (one of the photos posted today). After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake, but didn’t walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail and did a very slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at different flowers and photograph a few butterflies. Though slow, it was still further than I should have walked. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including various Orchid species, but there were still plenty to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day.
Thanks so much to the people down at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (near Lethbridge, down towards the Canada/US border) for bringing your gorgeous birds of prey for us to see! I have been south to the Centre three times I think, and always long to go back again, but it's not somewhere I can drive to, so this was a much-appreciated treat yesterday!
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