Little country church at Dinton
One of my favourite barns
Can you see what I see?
Snow turns something ordinary into beautiful
An old, red beauty
Modern - but I like it
Filtered
The peace of a prairie farm - my main photo today
With a little filtered help
Old prairie barn
A mix of textures
Well-protected
Blue Waters Inn, Tobago
Blue Waters Inn, Tobago
Steps from my cabin to main building, Asa Wright
Pine Coulee Reservoir trip
One of Nanton's grain elevators
Two of the Nanton grain elevators
I LOVE Canola
Old demonstration farm
Old barn in a field of canola
Little country church
Splash of colour
No longer a home
Treasures in the yellow strip
Yesterday's barn
An old red barn
Four in a row
Farm in the foothills
Beauty of an old barn, Alberta
Walker House, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
Four in a row
The Long house, Pioneer Acres, Alberta, Canada
A favourite old barn
A digital setting capture of the Laing house, Albe…
An old grain elevator with character
A fine old barn
A popular row of old granaries
Pine Coulee Reservoir, Alberta
A new-to-me old barn
Part of an old miners' camp
Common Raven keeping watch
The charred remains of McDougall Memorial United C…
Another favourite Alberta barn
Blackened remains of McDougall Memorial United Chu…
Old homestead, Alberta
Side by side
Old barn
Complete with little red birdhouse
Once a home
A new-to-me old barn
Old granaries on the prairie
A fine old barn
A favourite subject with photographers
Rural decay
Finally, the search is over
Beauty in old age
Autumn Stripes
Fragile and leaning
In fairly good condition
Old barns in late afternoon sun
The red barn
The difference 10 days make
Old barn at the Ellis Bird Farm
Sharples grain elevator
Hanging on till the final fall
Exshaw Legion memorial
Under a stormy sky
An old favourite
A few of the bird houses at Ellis Bird Farm
Grain elevator at Barons
An old barn with character
Tea, anyone?
McDougall Memorial United Church
Homestead remnants
Mossleigh grain elevators
Little red cabin
Rural decay
Old glass doorknob
Old cabin on Gottlob Schmidt's (Schmitty's) land
Weathered and patched
Bright and cheery in its old age
Kirkpatrick elevator, near Drumheller
Beautiful old house in the hills
Once a family home
The Grad Barn 2016
Prince of Wales hotel, Waterton
Love those Canola fields
This old house
And then there were only THREE!
Farm seed elevator, Ellis Bird Farm, Alberta
The old barn at the Ellis Bird Farm
McDougall Memorial United Church
Still standing
An old barn in winter
Charcoal effect
Roof shingles galore
Old barn in winter
Weathered and patched
Tucked away near the creek
Window box at Reader Rock Garden
Little red barn with green roof
Built with love
A life left behind
One of my favourite barns
Davisburg Community Church, Alberta
Farmyard scene on the prairie
McDougall Memorial United Church
A cluster of red barns
McDougall Memorial United Church
Little church in the valley
A fine old barn
Davisburg Community Church, Alberta
Old barn with a different style
Davisburg Community Church, Alberta
Aging gracefully
Little country church
The cross and the moon
Wearing a heavy coat of hoar frost
Shepard Energy Centre, east of Calgary, Alberta
The best colour to see in winter
Chateau Lake Louise and ice castle
Winter beauty
Snow, snow and more snow
Modern charm
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Winter on the farm
I photographed this old barn later in the day on last year's Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton. The light was beginning to fade and the barn was mainly in shadow. I can't remember just where we were, but maybe we will call in at the same place on the Count that is coming up later in December 2016.
Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January. The Count on 3 January 2016 was part of the 2015 Bird Count.
I think the gorgeous Pine Grosbeaks that we saw were the highlight of the day for me. We had been told about a farm family who had lots of these Grosbeaks at their feeders, and we are so glad that we arranged to call in. We also saw a Gray Jay there, to add to our species list. My small group of 4 friends and myself, travelling in two cars, did see 5 Golden Eagles, too, which was a thrill, but they were way off in the distance and I couldn't get any even remotely close photos.
The weather was bright and sunny for us this day. What you can't see is that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. Two years ago, on the trip in January (for the 2013 Count), on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. Also, the only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms/acreages.
We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars and in which some years - but definitely not on this day! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. Unlike some years, we saw only a handful of very distant Grouse, perched on a group of hay bales.
I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of the backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group!
Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's home as we were nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home.
After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite.
Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and several tiny white Quail. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year.
Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for the next Count, in about two and a half weeks' time!
I will add the list of species seen, in a comment box below.
Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January. The Count on 3 January 2016 was part of the 2015 Bird Count.
I think the gorgeous Pine Grosbeaks that we saw were the highlight of the day for me. We had been told about a farm family who had lots of these Grosbeaks at their feeders, and we are so glad that we arranged to call in. We also saw a Gray Jay there, to add to our species list. My small group of 4 friends and myself, travelling in two cars, did see 5 Golden Eagles, too, which was a thrill, but they were way off in the distance and I couldn't get any even remotely close photos.
The weather was bright and sunny for us this day. What you can't see is that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. Two years ago, on the trip in January (for the 2013 Count), on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. Also, the only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms/acreages.
We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars and in which some years - but definitely not on this day! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. Unlike some years, we saw only a handful of very distant Grouse, perched on a group of hay bales.
I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of the backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group!
Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's home as we were nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home.
After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite.
Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and several tiny white Quail. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year.
Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for the next Count, in about two and a half weeks' time!
I will add the list of species seen, in a comment box below.
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