Fish Creek Park 2

I haven't had the chance to photograph a Pileated Woodpecker in quite a while so, even though this isn't the most photogenic "perch", I'll still post it. This female was seen in the Bankside area of Fish Creek Park.

Yay - I finally have Internet again!!! Was without it yesterday evening and night up till maybe 20 minutes ago (it's about 10:45 a.m. now). After my continuous computer problems the last 3+ weeks, I was beginning to think that this was yet another one, ha! I don't need any more stress!!! In the end, after trying the usual things, I phoned Shaw and found a recorded message saying that they were experiencing technical difficulties. I was so relieved - though it still made for a "strange" evening and night having no access to the Net. So, instead, I sat for hours and backed up more of my photo folders, really concerned and feeling more and more convinced that there was something deep-seatedly wrong with my computer - and now, this morning, I can barely lift my arms upwards. Looks like I will be living in my pjs and going with hair uncombed for the rest of the day ... sigh! Remember what life was like before the invention of computers, lol?? Does anyone have a spare day of relaxation that they would be willing to donate to a worthy cause (i.e. "moi")? This fungus was growing on a rotting log at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, on August 30th. Thank goodness for archives : ) Today, our temperature is -22C (-8F), with a windchill of -34C (-29F). The windchill temperature seems to have stuck! Apparently, this has been an unusual winter. There have been more days of continuous snow cover than any on recent record.

We are all waiting with baited breath for the first Prairie Crocus (also called Pasque-flower) to bloom!!! Such gorgeous, hairy plants! Legend says that the Great Spirit gave this delicate plant a fur coat to keep it warm until spring nights turn warmer. This is a photo taken on 5 May 2006 at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park. Last spring, I photographed my first one on 26 March, but everything will be delayed this year because of our long, hard winter.

Though the sun did manage to come out later today, much of the day was cold and snowing. I was out walking all morning and I think it must have been one of the worst, if not THE worst, day underfoot that I've experienced. Snow had melted and frozen into an endless sheet of ice, and the freshly falling snow was hiding the treacherous conditions. You had to watch your step almost every inch of the path and, in the end, I cut short my walk. Not worth the risk of so easily slipping and falling! What a difference compared to my walk a few days ago in the same area - warmer, with a coating of beautiful ice crystals on everything. This little Black-capped Chickadee flew down as I crossed the small, wooden bridge at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park.

It looks as if this young Great Horned Owl was just above my head, but actually it (along with its sibling and Mom) was so high up in one of the very tall trees at Burnsmead that I didn't see them when I first started looking. With the leaves starting to grow, it's getting harder and harder to see anything, but I managed to find just one spot where I could get a clear view through the tangled mass of branches. You can see just a few feathers of the sibling in the top left corner. I searched the whole area after not finding them where I half expected them to be and was about to search just one last place before leaving, when I heard an owl calling from behind me. Sure enough, there they were, way, way up : ) This little one looked like he had coughed up a pellet (in a different photo) and was pecking at it and eating it. I didn't think they would do that. Linda, I hope this little ball of fluff can put a tiny smile on your face. Thinking of you and remembering Jim (Garnite). Hope you are doing OK. Later: just came across this video from The Camera Store here in Calgary (like the short video I posted a couple of days ago), shot down in Fish Creek Park. It compares shooting with a DSLR with massive lens (a Nikon D700 with comparable lenses) to a small, bridge camera (the Fuji HS20) - tongue-in-cheek, but still interesting results. youtu.be/rfnv9pRUJrU

Another autumn leaf, photographed yesterday during a one-day Photography Course put on by the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park (FFCPP).

Such a beautiful blue sky for a background to this Boreal Chickadee, seen in Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, yesterday morning. This type of Chickadee is uncommon to common year-round in Alberta. We don't see many here in the city parks. They are found in mature and young Spruce and fir forests. We watched this Chickadee checking out a small cavity in a tree.

One of my "usual" little male Downy Woodpeckers at Sikome, Fish Creek Park. Unfortunately, the blue sky had disappeared by the time I was in this area of the park.

Hope that all of you who celebrate Christmas are enjoying all your preparations. Less than two weeks now, so you'd better get busy : ) On a long, cold morning's walk in the park yesterday, we came across a tree that had been decorated with coloured baubles and ornaments. Loved the blue of this bauble and the reflection of the park - couldn't figure a way to exclude myself, LOL, so there I am, wearing T-shirt, sweater, fleece jacket, my bulky winter jacket, hat, hood, long-johns, jeans, two pairs of gloves, two pairs of socks and of course, my winter boots (plus ice-grabbers)! And it was only -12C!!! It's snowing again today - the beautiful, light, fluffy kind where you can see all the individual snowflakes. Light is so poor, so no use to try and take photos. Thank you to the person who spent time adding a little colour to the white landscape: ) I hope the birds enjoy it as much as I did.