Western Tent Caterpillars
Pasqueflower / Pulsatilla vulgaris
Eared Grebe / Podiceps nigricollis
Neighbours of the feathered kind
Having fun with its reflection
Almost time to fledge
Eastern Phoebe / Sayornis phoebe
Colour for a dreary day
A snack that is sure to tickle
Flashing his neck feathers
Yellow Lady's-slipper
Moose in the late evening sun
Grape Hyacinth / Muscari sp.
Brant grain elevator
Eared Grebe
Chionodoxa forbesii, white
A scene from the past
Eastern Kingbird
Masterwort / Astrantia major
Moose kneeling to lick salt from the road
Blue and banded
Barberry
Ten little bundles of joy
American Goldfinch female with Sunflower seed
Fritillary
A lovely splash of colour
Spiny Rose Gall
Well, hello, little Chickadee
Collecting supper for her babies
A little blossom flower
Coyote in a field of dandelions
When black isn't really black
Shades of orange
Snack time for baby Coot
Love these little guys
Convergent Ladybug / Hippodamia convergens
Western Tent Caterpillar - one of many
Red-winged Blackbird female
A touch of England
Lichen from the Whaleback hills
Bleeding hearts
Small Blue sp.
Eastern Kingbird
Franklins and the farmer
Before and after the petals fall
Keywords
Authorizations, license
-
Visible by: Everyone -
All rights reserved
-
264 visits
Clouds and Dandelions


Five days ago, on 4 June 2015, it was a dry day, though a thunderstorm was forecast. After grey skies and rain the previous couple of days, I felt like going for a drive. Started at a wetland in SW Calgary, where I saw the usual Lesser Scaup and Redheads. The male Redhead did not like any of the other ducks around him and would chase away each one in turn. Quite the bully! Also managed to get a few more shots of a Common Grackle, though they move fast and seemingly constantly.
From there, I drove some of my usual backroads SW of the city. The clouds were building up quite dramatically, and I stopped at one wetland where they were reflected quite beautifully. I didn't see all that many birds, but was content to get a few chances to photograph a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, an Eastern Kingbird, and a Savannah Sparrow. No Wilson's Snipe this time, though I thought I had one on a distant fence post. Turned out to be a Mourning Dove - only the second time I've ever seen one on a fence post. Also saw a Swainson's Hawk which flew and landed on a high power pole near where the Bluebirds and Tree Swallows were nesting. The Tree Swallows, in true fashion, were causing the Bluebirds enough stress by flying and landing just a foot or two away from the Bluebirds' nesting box. The male Bluebird did such a great job of chasing away its rather beautiful, iridescent neighbours - which I also enjoy photographing.
On the way home, I couldn't resist stopping at this row of colourful old granaries. The last photo I posted of them was taken on a cloudless sky and it was a rather uninspiring image. When I called in there five days ago, the field was full of Dandelions (mainly gone to seed) and the sky was full of clouds.
So, a short trip, but one that I always enjoy, especially each spring. I never forget how lucky I am to live near such beautiful places and be able to see the local birds and wildlife.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of you have already seen the following information, but for anyone else who might be interested, the folllowing link, with the information below, answers the question: "WHY ARE BARNS USUALLY PAINTED RED?"
home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm
"If you've ever driven through a rural area, it's likely that you've seen the red barns that speckle the farming landscape. There are several theories as to why barns are painted red.
Centuries ago, European farmers would seal the wood on their barns with an oil, often linseed oil -- a tawny-colored oil derived from the seed of the flax plant. They would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime. The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. (Today, linseed oil is sold in most home-improvement stores as a wood sealant). Now, where does the red come from?
In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are two predominant theories. One is that wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red. The other is that farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grown on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.
Regardless of how the farmer tinted his paint, having a red barn became a fashionable thing. They were a sharp contrast to the traditional white farmhouse. As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. Red was the color of favor until whitewash became cheaper, at which point white barns began to spring up.
Today, the color of barns can vary, often depending on how the barns are used."
From there, I drove some of my usual backroads SW of the city. The clouds were building up quite dramatically, and I stopped at one wetland where they were reflected quite beautifully. I didn't see all that many birds, but was content to get a few chances to photograph a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, an Eastern Kingbird, and a Savannah Sparrow. No Wilson's Snipe this time, though I thought I had one on a distant fence post. Turned out to be a Mourning Dove - only the second time I've ever seen one on a fence post. Also saw a Swainson's Hawk which flew and landed on a high power pole near where the Bluebirds and Tree Swallows were nesting. The Tree Swallows, in true fashion, were causing the Bluebirds enough stress by flying and landing just a foot or two away from the Bluebirds' nesting box. The male Bluebird did such a great job of chasing away its rather beautiful, iridescent neighbours - which I also enjoy photographing.
On the way home, I couldn't resist stopping at this row of colourful old granaries. The last photo I posted of them was taken on a cloudless sky and it was a rather uninspiring image. When I called in there five days ago, the field was full of Dandelions (mainly gone to seed) and the sky was full of clouds.
So, a short trip, but one that I always enjoy, especially each spring. I never forget how lucky I am to live near such beautiful places and be able to see the local birds and wildlife.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of you have already seen the following information, but for anyone else who might be interested, the folllowing link, with the information below, answers the question: "WHY ARE BARNS USUALLY PAINTED RED?"
home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm
"If you've ever driven through a rural area, it's likely that you've seen the red barns that speckle the farming landscape. There are several theories as to why barns are painted red.
Centuries ago, European farmers would seal the wood on their barns with an oil, often linseed oil -- a tawny-colored oil derived from the seed of the flax plant. They would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime. The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. (Today, linseed oil is sold in most home-improvement stores as a wood sealant). Now, where does the red come from?
In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are two predominant theories. One is that wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red. The other is that farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grown on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.
Regardless of how the farmer tinted his paint, having a red barn became a fashionable thing. They were a sharp contrast to the traditional white farmhouse. As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. Red was the color of favor until whitewash became cheaper, at which point white barns began to spring up.
Today, the color of barns can vary, often depending on how the barns are used."
- Keyboard shortcuts:
Jump to top
RSS feed- Latest comments - Subscribe to the comment feeds of this photo
- ipernity © 2007-2025
- Help & Contact
|
Club news
|
About ipernity
|
History |
ipernity Club & Prices |
Guide of good conduct
Donate | Group guidelines | Privacy policy | Terms of use | Statutes | In memoria -
Facebook
Twitter
Sign-in to write a comment.