Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Silverberry

Yesterday, 3 June 2018, I had hoped to drive out of the city for an annual morning walk followed by a delicious BBQ lunch. Unfortunately, I never heard back from the leader about whether any others would be going from Calgary (though I was going to drive there myself). As it turned out, I had a great afternoon within the city, with an afternoon walk in Weaselhead, during which we found a Rufous and a Calliope Hummingbird. These birds are so tiny, that a long lens with great quality is needed in order to get a good shot. This long walk was followed by coffee and chat at Tim Horton's, which is always much enjoyed. Thanks, as always, Janet and Bernie! On my drive home early evening, I made a split second decision to keep driving to Fish Creek Park. I had only been down there twice this year and saw the adult male Great Horned Owl. I had heard that the female was on the nest and later, that there was just one owlet. Yesterday was my first visit to try and find this young one. Looking on the more important side, this meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or young ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack. I think it would have taken me some time to find it, as it was so high up in a tree. Friends had already found it and were kind enough to take me to see it, which was much appreciated. They also showed me a very high Starling nest with three youngsters peering out. A tree cavity was also pointed out to me, with Mother Goose looking rather bored, incubating her eggs. The silvery berries of the native Wolf Willow or Silverberry shrub look attractive in winter, especially when seen against a blue sky. This shrub is popular with the Calliope Hummingbird and, in fact, this photo was taken in "The Meadow" in Weaselhead, where one can see these tiny birds. It has a very strong scent - some people love it, others dislike it intensely - I love it : ) "Wolf willow berries were used by Blackfoot Natives to make seed necklaces. The berries were boiled to remove the flesh and the pointed nutlets strung onto necklaces or used to decorate the fringes on clothing. Each seed is dark brown with yellow stripes. When the first settlers arrived, the women quickly learned the art from the natives, and wolf willow seed necklaces became a popular gift to send home. Wolf willow fruit is mealy and dry, but was still eaten by some First Nations. Blackfoot Indians peeled and ate the berries or mixed them with grease and stored them in a cool place. This was eaten as a confection or added to soups and broths. The berries were sometimes mixed with blood or sugar and cooked for food. Children suffering from frostbite were treated with a strong solution made from the bark. The essential oil is in demand for aromatherapy. Though commonly called wolf willow, this plant species is not a willow at all. Instead, it belongs to the Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster) family and is related to thorny and Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia)." plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/wolf-willow

Yesterday morning, 7 March 2015, my plan was to go with a group of friends on a bird walk at Votiers Flats, in Fish Creek Park. Sounded as though the paths were pretty good, though still some ice, so I left my ice grabbers in my car. A short distance into the park, someone slipped on the ice and fell heavily, at which point I said I was going back for my ice grabbers and would probably see everyone later. Instead, I ended up going for a walk on my own, rather than wait for everyone else. The main path was pretty clear, but the other paths were treacherously icy. Eight or so beautiful White-tailed Deer were the first encounter of the morning, followed by a couple of Pine Grosbeaks. Heard several Blue Jays and had a gorgeous male Ring-necked pheasant fly across the path ahead of me. Couldn’t take my eyes off it till it disappeared into distant trees, and never even thought about trying to get a photo. Saw or heard all the usual birds including Black-capped Chickadee, Nuthatch and a Downy Woodpecker. The weather is amazing at the moment and will be even better for the next week, climbing into double digits around 14C to 16C. March tends to be our snowiest month, but so far, has been great. Not unusual, though, for us to get a heavy snowstorm in May, so we’ll see. There are lots of these whitish Wolf Willow berries in many places and I always like to see them against a blue sky. These shrubs or small trees have such a powerful smell and some people love it and others dislike it intensely. I happen to be one of those who likes it. I also love the tiny, rather unusual, yellow flowers that this species has. "Wolf willow berries were used by Blackfoot Natives to make seed necklaces. The berries were boiled to remove the flesh and the pointed nutlets strung onto necklaces or used to decorate the fringes on clothing. Each seed is dark brown with yellow stripes. When the first settlers arrived, the women quickly learned the art from the natives, and wolf willow seed necklaces became a popular gift to send home. Wolf willow fruit is mealy and dry, but was still eaten by some First Nations. Blackfoot Indians peeled and ate the berries or mixed them with grease and stored them in a cool place. This was eaten as a confection or added to soups and broths. The berries were sometimes mixed with blood or sugar and cooked for food. Children suffering from frostbite were treated with a strong solution made from the bark. The essential oil is in demand for aromatherapy. Though commonly called wolf willow, this plant species is not a willow at all. Instead, it belongs to the Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster) family and is related to thorny and Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia)." plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/wolf-willow

Macro photo of Wolf Willow / Silverberry flowers, seen at Griffith Woods on 15 June 2013. These small flowers are yellow/greeny yellow on the topside and silvery on the underside. The four-lobed corolla is 6–14 mm long. They are very fragrant flowers, and some people love the smell while others dislike it intensely. I happen to love it.

The beautiful, tiny yellow flowers of the Wolf Willow/Silverberry are unusual and beautiful, I always think. Took this macro photo of these tiny beauties during a trip to Bow Valley Provincial Park on 27 June 2011. The shrubs give off such a powerful, musky-sweet scent - people either love it or hate it, ha. I'm one of the ones who loves it. "Wolf-willow is important food for moose and elk in the wintertime. A few birds eat the seeds, and the shrubs provide good cover and protection for moose, deer, birds and other animals. Traditional First Nations uses: The silver berries were strung together to make necklaces, and the bark was woven into bags, baskets, blankets and rope. In Alaska, the fruits were cooked in moose fat and eaten." From sierraclub.ca.

Took this macro photo yesterday morning on a walk in the Weaselhead. The silvery berries of the native Wolf Willow or Silverberry shrub look attractive in winter, especially when seen against a blue sky. This shrub is popular with the Calliope Hummingbird and, in fact, this photo was taken in "The Meadow" in Weaselhead, where one can see these tiny birds. It has a very strong scent - some people love it, others dislike it intensely - I love it : ) "Wolf willow berries were used by Blackfoot Natives to make seed necklaces. The berries were boiled to remove the flesh and the pointed nutlets strung onto necklaces or used to decorate the fringes on clothing. Each seed is dark brown with yellow stripes. When the first settlers arrived, the women quickly learned the art from the natives, and wolf willow seed necklaces became a popular gift to send home. Wolf willow fruit is mealy and dry, but was still eaten by some First Nations. Blackfoot Indians peeled and ate the berries or mixed them with grease and stored them in a cool place. This was eaten as a confection or added to soups and broths. The berries were sometimes mixed with blood or sugar and cooked for food. Children suffering from frostbite were treated with a strong solution made from the bark. The essential oil is in demand for aromatherapy. Though commonly called wolf willow, this plant species is not a willow at all. Instead, it belongs to the Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster) family and is related to thorny and Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia)." plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/wolf-willow

This is also called Wolf Willow. It is easily identified by its silver leaves and by its smell, which one either likes or dislikes intensely, LOL. I like it. The berries are silver in colour, about 1 cm across, with a mealy texture. It is similar to an introduced and escaped ornamental tree called Russian Olive, which has yellow berries.

The beautiful, tiny yellow flowers of the Wolf Willow/Silverberry are unusual and beautiful, I always think. Took this macro photo of these tiny beauties during a trip to Bow Valley Provincial Park on 27 June 2011. The shrubs give off such a powerful, musky-sweet scent - people either love it or hate it, ha. I'm one of the ones who loves it. "Wolf-willow is important food for moose and elk in the wintertime. A few birds eat the seeds, and the shrubs provide good cover and protection for moose, deer, birds and other animals. Traditional First Nations uses: The silver berries were strung together to make necklaces, and the bark was woven into bags, baskets, blankets and rope. In Alaska, the fruits were cooked in moose fat and eaten." From sierraclub.ca.