Cinnamon Teal
Teasels growing wild
The joy of spring
A little eye-catcher
The forest is alive with fungi, lichens and mosses
This Snipe 'doesn't have a leg to stand on'
Fancy plumage
Much-needed colour
One of a pair
Wilson's Snipe, seen from afar
Front of an antique store
Puffed up Tree Swallow
Dandelions - of course : )
McDougall Memorial United Church
Successful hunting
03 Blowing in the wind
02 Tree Swallow trio
01 Spic and span
Canada Goose
Red Baneberry
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Finely iridescent
On the fence
Periwinkle / Vinca minor
Western Meadowlark
First day out in the big, wide world
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Yellow-headed Blackbird
Busy parent
Nuttall's Sunflower / Helianthus nuttallii
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Snake's Head Fritillary / Fritillaria meleagris
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Close-up of bee colony
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Early Cinquefoil
Perched in the sun
Sharp-tailed Grouse in the early morning sun
Hepatica
Mountain Bluebird protecting her nest box
Watching closely
After the rain
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One of my favourite birds to photograph


I went for a short drive SW of the city early evening on 7 May 2016. I was hoping to see Mountain Bluebirds, but my 'usual' pair don't seem to be at their old nesting box. At least, there was no sign of them yesterday, and Tree Swallows were circling around this box and the one just a few feet away. I did find a different pair, being harassed by Tree Swallows, and was able to get several distant, quick shots.
I was also hoping to see a Wilson's Snipe at the usual place and I was lucky to find this one standing on a fence post. Usually, these birds will stay for a while, but this one let me get a couple of photos and off it flew. It was SO good to see one again - they are one of my favourite birds to photograph. Other species seen were a Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, a Coot, various distant ducks and an extremely distant pair of Red-necked Grebes.
"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
I was also hoping to see a Wilson's Snipe at the usual place and I was lucky to find this one standing on a fence post. Usually, these birds will stay for a while, but this one let me get a couple of photos and off it flew. It was SO good to see one again - they are one of my favourite birds to photograph. Other species seen were a Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, a Coot, various distant ducks and an extremely distant pair of Red-necked Grebes.
"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
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