Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Carduelis flammea

This photo was taken on 4 February 2016, when I was on a birding walk with friends, in Weaselhead. Unfortunately, it was heavily overcast but, though there was no sign of the sun, it wasn't that cold. Many of our temperatures this winter have been so ridiculously mild. Makes you wonder what our summer is going to be like! theweaselhead.com/ www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Weasel... There are supposed to be no feeders in Weaselhead, but certain ones have stayed. This photo shows a popular one. A few people leave seeds for the birds and it must be costing a few regulars such a huge amount of money to do so. Feeding the birds does give these folks tons of fresh air, exercise, and the joy of doing something that they love. Unlike bird feeders in people's gardens, these forest feeders do keep the birds in their natural habitat. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id The following is a list of the species seen on 4 February: FFCPPSoc. BIRDING, Weaselhead Natural Area, Calgary, 0915-1215, Thu, 04Feb2016. Heavy overcast, NW wind 15kph, -2 to 3°C. Combined results, 2 groups. 1. Bald Eagle-1ad 2. Downy Woodpecker-5 3. Hairy Woodpecker-2 4. Northern Flicker-1 5. Blue Jay-3+ 6. Black-billed Magpie-3 7. Common Raven-5 8. Black-capped Chickadee-20 9. Boreal Chickadee-3 10. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1 heard 11. White-breasted Nuthatch-2 12. Bohemian Waxwing-1 13. Pine Grosbeak-40+ 14. House Finch-8+ 15. White-winged Crossbill-1 16. Common Redpoll-150 17. Pine Siskin-50 18. American Goldfinch-1 Coyote-1 Red Squirrel-8 White-tailed Deer-4+

In the early afternoon on 31 January 2016, I decided to go for a drive east of the city. The weather was getting sunny and I needed to get out for a while. Recently, I have had to replace several kitchen appliances and can't believe the hassle this has created. I automatically expect something new to work perfectly and forget that this isn't necessarily going to happen. It started when I replaced my dead kettle just before Christmas. Had to return the new one later, as the power lever wasn't working. When I later Googled this brand, I found so many reviews complaining about the very same problem. I had carefully bought a 'good' quality one, thinking it would last for a few years. Next came a toaster - so far, it is working fine. After that, I decided I had better replace my microwave that was making a loud, very unhealthy noise. Well, I couldn't find a store that delivers! I did find a microwave that I liked, but gave up, as there was no way I could even lift it. Giving up, I started walking away, when I suddenly decided to look at dishwashers - I've been without a working machine for about 12 of the last 18 years and had been meaning to treat myself to one for the last few years, to give my painful hands and back a break from standing at the kitchen sink. The guy I dealt with said that the microwave could be delivered at the same time, which sounded like the perfect solution. However, that didn't happen and the store guy very kindly delivered it himself to my home! I was so grateful! Oh, and my dishwasher that was delivered ended up sitting in the middle of my small kitchen, having to wait a few days to be installed. Apparently, the pipes in the basement are "unusual" and needed other parts and tools - the guy said that, in all the years he has been working, he's never come across pipes like mine, ha. A large flock of these gorgeous little Common Redpolls took my mind off the shoddy quality of new gadgets : ) I don't particularly like taking bird-on-wire shots, but better than nothing. Usually when I see Redpolls, they are females, like this little one. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id I also checked on the Short-eared Owls when I was driving out east. Could only find a distant one, tucked away in the trees. Bumped into a friend out there, who said he had just been to see a Northern Hawk Owl because he had more or less given up on the Short-eared Owls. Said the last few times he had been there, the owls weren't around much. I'm hoping that the number of cars and birders/photographers didn't push the owls to move on.

"There was a problem loading your albums". I was able to add to albums with my third photo but I am unable to add the first two images to albums. At least the problem with Stats seems to have now been resolved - not that it's ever accurate, of course. This photo was taken on 7 February 2016, when I was on an afternoon birding walk with friends, in Weaselhead. I had been on the same walk three days earlier, but as I had missed the previous week's walk at another location, I felt it was OK to go a second time for the walk in Weaselhead. I had been hoping for sunshne, but unfortunately, the weather was little better than three days before, though the sun did come out in the later part of the walk. I came home with about three shots only, ha. theweaselhead.com/ www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Weasel... There are supposed to be no feeders in Weaselhead, but certain ones have stayed. A few people leave seeds for the birds and it must be costing a few regulars such a huge amount of money to do so. Feeding the birds does give these folks tons of fresh air, exercise, and the joy of doing something that they love. Unlike bird feeders in people's gardens, these forest feeders do keep the birds in their natural habitat. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id List of species complied by our leaders: FFCPPSoc. Birding Weaselhead Natural Area, Calgary. 1:15-3:45pm. Sun. Feb 7/16. Overcast becoming sunny, calm, +2 to +7C. 1. Northern Flicker - 1 heard 2. Downy Woodpecker - 2 3. Hairy Woodpecker - 1 4. Black-billed Magpie - 7 5. Common Raven - 6 6. Black-capped Chickadee - 22 7. Boreal Chickadee - 1 8. White-breasted Nuthatch - 6 9. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2 10. White-winged Crossbill - 3 11. House Finch - heard 12. Pine Siskin - 6 13. Common Redpoll - 8 14. Pine Grosbeak - 15 Red Squirrel - 7 Meadow Vole - 1

This photo was taken on 4 February 2016, when I was on a birding walk with friends, in Weaselhead. Unfortunately, it was heavily overcast - though there was no sign of the sun, it wasn't that cold. Many of our temperatures this winter have been so ridiculously mild. One recent mid-February day, we broke a record for the warmest February day on that date in 90 years, soaring to +16.4C! Whatever happened to the -20Cs and -30Cs? Makes you wonder what our summer is going to be like! theweaselhead.com/ www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Weasel... There are supposed to be no feeders in Weaselhead, but certain ones have stayed. A few people leave seeds for the birds and it must be costing a few regulars such a huge amount of money to do so. Feeding the birds does give these folks tons of fresh air, exercise, and the joy of doing something that they love. Unlike bird feeders in people's gardens, these forest feeders do keep the birds in their natural habitat. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id The following is a list of the species seen on 4 February 2016: FFCPPSoc. BIRDING, Weaselhead Natural Area, Calgary, 0915-1215, Thu, 04Feb2016. Heavy overcast, NW wind 15kph, -2 to 3°C. Combined results, 2 groups. 1. Bald Eagle-1ad 2. Downy Woodpecker-5 3. Hairy Woodpecker-2 4. Northern Flicker-1 5. Blue Jay-3+ 6. Black-billed Magpie-3 7. Common Raven-5 8. Black-capped Chickadee-20 9. Boreal Chickadee-3 10. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1 heard 11. White-breasted Nuthatch-2 12. Bohemian Waxwing-1 13. Pine Grosbeak-40+ 14. House Finch-8+ 15. White-winged Crossbill-1 16. Common Redpoll-150 17. Pine Siskin-50 18. American Goldfinch-1 Coyote-1 Red Squirrel-8 White-tailed Deer-4+

A very grainy shot of this little Common Redpoll. The image was so dark that I could barely tell what it showed, so it needed a huge amount of brightening, but I don't often get photos of these little winter visitors. It was taken on 4 February 2016, when I was on a birding walk with friends, in Weaselhead. Unfortunately, it was heavily overcast - though there was no sign of the sun, it wasn't that cold. Many of our temperatures this winter have been so ridiculously mild. Can't remember now if it was yesterday or the day before, that we broke a record for the warmest February day on that date in 90 years, soaring to +16.4C! Whatever happened to the -20Cs and -30Cs? Makes you wonder what our summer is going to be like! theweaselhead.com/ www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Weasel... There are supposed to be no feeders in Weaselhead, but certain ones have stayed. A few people leave seeds for the birds and it must be costing a few regulars such a huge amount of money to do so. Feeding the birds does give these folks tons of fresh air, exercise, and the joy of doing something that they love. Unlike bird feeders in people's gardens, these forest feeders do keep the birds in their natural habitat. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id The following is a list of the species seen on 4 February 2016: FFCPPSoc. BIRDING, Weaselhead Natural Area, Calgary, 0915-1215, Thu, 04Feb2016. Heavy overcast, NW wind 15kph, -2 to 3°C. Combined results, 2 groups. 1. Bald Eagle-1ad 2. Downy Woodpecker-5 3. Hairy Woodpecker-2 4. Northern Flicker-1 5. Blue Jay-3+ 6. Black-billed Magpie-3 7. Common Raven-5 8. Black-capped Chickadee-20 9. Boreal Chickadee-3 10. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1 heard 11. White-breasted Nuthatch-2 12. Bohemian Waxwing-1 13. Pine Grosbeak-40+ 14. House Finch-8+ 15. White-winged Crossbill-1 16. Common Redpoll-150 17. Pine Siskin-50 18. American Goldfinch-1 Coyote-1 Red Squirrel-8 White-tailed Deer-4+

All three photos posted today were taken yesterday morning, 4 February 2016, when I was on a birding walk with friends, in Weaselhead. Unfortunately, it was heavily overcast - though there was no sign of the sun, it wasn't that cold. Many of our temperatures this winter have been so ridiculously mild. On Monday and Tuesday of next week, the forecast is for PLUS 11C! This morning, as I type, it is +6C (windchill +2C). Makes you wonder what our summer is going to be like! theweaselhead.com/ www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Weasel... There are supposed to be no feeders in Weaselhead, but certain ones have stayed. This photo shows a popular one. A few people leave seeds for the birds and it must be costing a few regulars such a huge amount of money to do so. Feeding the birds does give these folks tons of fresh air, exercise, and the joy of doing something that they love. Unlike bird feeders in people's gardens, these forest feeders do keep the birds in their natural habitat. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id The following is a list of the species seen yesterday: FFCPPSoc. BIRDING, Weaselhead Natural Area, Calgary, 0915-1215, Thu, 04Feb2016. Heavy overcast, NW wind 15kph, -2 to 3°C. Combined results, 2 groups. 1. Bald Eagle-1ad 2. Downy Woodpecker-5 3. Hairy Woodpecker-2 4. Northern Flicker-1 5. Blue Jay-3+ 6. Black-billed Magpie-3 7. Common Raven-5 8. Black-capped Chickadee-20 9. Boreal Chickadee-3 10. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1 heard 11. White-breasted Nuthatch-2 12. Bohemian Waxwing-1 13. Pine Grosbeak-40+ 14. House Finch-8+ 15. White-winged Crossbill-1 16. Common Redpoll-150 17. Pine Siskin-50 18. American Goldfinch-1 Coyote-1 Red Squirrel-8 White-tailed Deer-4+

In the early afternoon on 31 January 2016, I decided to go for a drive east of the city. The weather was getting sunny and I needed to get out for a while. Recently, I have had to replace several kitchen appliances and can't believe the hassle this has created. I automatically expect something new to work perfectly and forget that this isn't necessarily going to happen. A large flock of these gorgeous little Common Redpolls took my mind off the shoddy quality of new gadgets : ) This photo shows a little female, perched on a fence post for just long enough to get this one, quick shot. The sun was shining on the bright red dot on her forehead. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id I also checked on the Short-eared Owls when I was driving out east. Could only find a distant one, tucked away in the trees. Bumped into a friend out there, who said he had just been to see a Northern Hawk Owl because he had more or less given up on these Short-eared Owls. Said the last few times he had been there, the owls weren't around much. I'm hoping that the number of cars and birders/photographers hasn't pushed the owls to move on.

It's 10:30 am on 2 February 2016, and there are only two new photos from contacts showing on my Contacts' page. That seems very strange. All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 1 February 2016, when I spent the day east of the city with friends Sandy and Debbie. We were hoping to see a few owls and ended up seeing three species, which was quite a treat – a distant Snowy Owl that was perched on a round, white tank of some sort on the ground, an extremely well-hidden Short-eared Owl and an equally well-hidden Great Horned Owl. Pretty useless for photos, but lovely to see. We were also treated to a beautiful Rough-legged Hawk that was perched on a power pole along one of the backroads. Not much in the way of other birds, other than endless Black-billed Magpies, a few Ravens and a large flock or two of dainty Common Redpolls. The latter are usually almost impossible to photograph, they are so fast and constantly on the move. The photo I've posted today is a messy shot and poor quality, but these little Redpolls, with the red spot on their forehead, do look rather cute hidden among a tangle of thin branches. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id The day was a mix of sun and lots of cloud, but very pleasant. It was interesting to see how some areas had quite a lot of snow on the ground, but others had the golden stubble showing in fairly bare fields. The odd barn or two offered a few photo opportunities, too, of course. Many thanks for driving us on this outing, Sandy! Thank goodness that you love driving and that you have a vehicle in much, much newer and better shape than mine or Debbie's : )

Yesterday afternoon, 31 January 2016, I decided to go for a drive east of the city. The weather was getting sunny and I needed to get out for a while. Recently, I have had to replace several kitchen appliances and can't believe the hassle this has created. I automatically expect something new to work perfectly and forget that this isn't necessarily going to happen. It started when I replaced my dead kettle just before Christmas. Had to return the new one later, as the power lever wasn't working. When I later Googled this brand, I found so many reviews complaining about the very same problem. I had carefully bought a 'good' quality one, thinking it would last for a few years. Next came a toaster - so far, it is working fine. After that, I decided I had better replace my microwave that was making a loud, very unhealthy noise. Well, I couldn't find a store that delivers! I did find a microwave that I liked, but gave up, as there was no way I could even lift it. Giving up, I started walking away, when I suddenly decided to look at dishwashers - I've been without a working machine for about 12 of the last 18 years and had been meaning to treat myself to one for the last few years, to give my painful hands and back a break from standing at the kitchen sink. The guy I dealt with said that the microwave could be delivered at the same time, which sounded like the perfect solution. However, that didn't happen and the store guy very kindly delivered it himself to my home! I was so grateful, but then, yesterday evening, I discovered that one of the number buttons doesn't work, sigh. Oh, and my dishwasher that was delivered has been sitting in the middle of my small kitchen, having to wait a few days to be installed. Apparently, the pipes in the basement are "unusual" and needed other parts and tools - the guy said that, in all the years he has been working, he's never come across pipes like mine, ha. Needless to say, I am really, really hoping that this machine works perfectly once it has been installed!! A large flock of these gorgeous little Common Redpolls took my mind off the shoddy quality of new gadgets : ) I don't particularly like taking bird-on-wire shots, but better than nothing. Usually when I see Redpolls, they are females, so I was glad to see this little male. "As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders (particularly thistle or nyjer seed), allowing delightfully close looks." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id I also checked on the Short-eared Owls when I was driving out east. Could only find a distant one, tucked away in the trees. Bumped into a friend out there, who said he had just been to see a Northern Hawk Owl because he had more or less given up on the Short-eared Owls. Said the last few times he had been there, the owls weren't around much. I'm hoping that the number of cars and birders/photographers hasn't pushed the owls to move on.

Common Redpolls are such dainty little birds, that come to Calgary in large numbers some years, but not in others. This was a good year for them. Photographed this little lady during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count in and around Nanton on 30 December 2012. A very distant shot to the top of this tree.

We saw quite a few of these little Common Redpolls yesterday on a rural homestead in the Drumheller area, while doing an annual Bird Count there. They were all puffed up thanks to the -30C temperatures. I was in agony (freezing hand) while taking half a dozen quick shots, but I had decided to try one of the small hand-warmer packs and this worked brilliantly. I have no idea how they work, but feeling that heat inside my glove was wonderful! Definitely recommend them!

These little Common Redpolls are common in Alberta from October to April, but are predictably unpredictable as far as numbers are concerned. This bird was one of a flock that was flying around a farm area south of Calgary. It happened to land on this piece of farm equipment. I would guess that this is a female, as the males tend to have pinkish breasts. Yesterday, I was out from 6:10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., taking part in a Christmas Bird Count on the Cochrane Reserve, north-west of Calgary. Not sure of the exact number of bird species we saw, but it was around 23.

These pretty little birds arrive in "predictably unpredictable" numbers each winter. I haven't been seeing much of them, but did get a chance to photograph several at a feeder on a farm north-east of the city, on the way to the Drumheller area. They are almost always focussed on eating, as they are "in constant danger of running out of fuel and dying from hypothermia." Male and female have the red cap, and the males often have a pinkish breast. Had to heavily crop this photo, but thought these two birds were very cute. The temperature was at -21C for part of the day, soaring to a balmy -4c by the time we returned to the city, after a long day's Christmas Bird Count in the Drumheller area.

These Common Redpolls seem to be as active as the Chickadees! Oh, what fun! These little guys are "in constant danger of running out of fuel and dying from hypothermia, so they are almost always eating" ("Birds of Alberta" by Fisher and Acorn).

This was the first time I had ever seen a male Common Redpoll. I only had a few moments to photograph these birds in someone's front garden, as the group of people I was with had already left me behind. I would have loved to stay for ages, watching them and trying to get a better photo.