Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Eastern Kingbird

Is anyone else finding that there are still barely any comments on their photos? I know lots of people have been having problems. This feels really weird and unusual. Three days ago, on 13 June 2019, I was invited to visit the acreage where friend, Jackie, now lives. The 16 photos taken there and posted yesterday afternoon are all on private land, so no location is given, for obvious security reasons. Jackie has only been there for the last few months, but is loving life in such a nature Paradise. So much wildlife and plant life, and I can't think of anyone more perfect to be living there, enjoying every new sighting and loving all the regulars. Thank you so much for inviting me, Jackie, and it was great to catch up with everyone! Perhaps the main creature that I was really hoping I would see was the beautiful Thirteen-lined Groundsquirrel. I had seen them in Weaselhead in a couple of places, and in Waterton Lakes National Park. Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : ) "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the great talkaboutwildlife website, which no longer exists. "The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is strictly diurnal and is especially active on warm days. A solitary or only somewhat colonial hibernator, it often occurs in aggregations in suitable habitats. In late summer, it puts on a heavy layer of fat and stores some food in its burrow. It enters its nest in October (some adults retire much earlier), rolls into a stiff ball, and decreases its respiration from between 100 and 200 breaths per minute to one breath about every five minutes. It emerges in March or early April. The burrow may be 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 metres) long, with several side passages. Most of the burrow is within one to two feet (about half a meter) of the surface, with only the hibernation nest in a special deeper section. Shorter burrows are dug as hiding places. This ground squirrel's home range is two to three acres (0.8 to 1.2 ha). Its primary diet includes grass and weed seeds, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it may also eat mice and shrews; it will viciously attack and consume cicadas if able to catch them. This squirrel sometimes damages gardens by digging burrows and eating vegetables, but also devours weed seeds and harmful insects. It is well known for standing upright to survey its domain, diving down into its burrow when it senses danger, then sometimes poking out its nose and giving a bird-like trill. It has a maximum running speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) and reverses direction if chased." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel After visiting Jackie, I decided to drive and see if any of my regular birds were out and about. Luckily, they were, so this morning I have posted 9 shots, including Wilson's Snipe, Mountain Bluebirds, and Eastern Kingbird.

Three days ago, on 13 June 2019, I was invited to visit the acreage where friend, Jackie, now lives. The 16 photos taken there and posted yesterday afternoon are all on private land, so no location is given, for obvious security reasons. Jackie has only been there for the last few months, but is loving life in such a nature Paradise. So much wildlife and plant life, and I can't think of anyone more perfect to be living there, enjoying every new sighting and loving all the regulars. Thank you so much for inviting me, Jackie, and it was great to catch up with everyone! Perhaps the main creature that I was really hoping I would see was the beautiful Thirteen-lined Groundsquirrel. I had seen them in Weaselhead in a couple of places, and in Waterton Lakes National Park. Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : ) "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the great talkaboutwildlife website, which no longer exists. "The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is strictly diurnal and is especially active on warm days. A solitary or only somewhat colonial hibernator, it often occurs in aggregations in suitable habitats. In late summer, it puts on a heavy layer of fat and stores some food in its burrow. It enters its nest in October (some adults retire much earlier), rolls into a stiff ball, and decreases its respiration from between 100 and 200 breaths per minute to one breath about every five minutes. It emerges in March or early April. The burrow may be 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 metres) long, with several side passages. Most of the burrow is within one to two feet (about half a meter) of the surface, with only the hibernation nest in a special deeper section. Shorter burrows are dug as hiding places. This ground squirrel's home range is two to three acres (0.8 to 1.2 ha). Its primary diet includes grass and weed seeds, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it may also eat mice and shrews; it will viciously attack and consume cicadas if able to catch them. This squirrel sometimes damages gardens by digging burrows and eating vegetables, but also devours weed seeds and harmful insects. It is well known for standing upright to survey its domain, diving down into its burrow when it senses danger, then sometimes poking out its nose and giving a bird-like trill. It has a maximum running speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) and reverses direction if chased." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel After visiting Jackie, I decided to drive and see if any of my regular birds were out and about. Luckily, they were, so this morning I have posted 9 shots, including Wilson's Snipe, Mountain Bluebirds, and Eastern Kingbird.

Newly uploaded photos are not being seen this morning, 8 June - people have reported it on the Help Forum. 8 June 2019 - we have been getting wet and windy weather. Yesterday, when I checked the forecast, the temperature was only 3C (windchill -2C!). Snow was falling in the mountains yesterday and places like Canmore and Banff looked like winter wonderlands. Light flurries were even reported in the northwest corner of Calgary. Our crazy weather! Three days ago, on 5 June, I was so relieved that I was all caught up with my recent photos, leaving me with just the last few days of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas to sort through, edit and post. Then I happened to check the weather forecast and discovered that we were in for a few days of rain. That settled it, I knew I had better go for a short drive, and ended up going to my 'usual' places. Some of the birds I saw and was able to photograph included a Wilson's Snipe, a Black Tern on a fence post, a Mountain Bluebird pair against a field of yellow, Red-winged Blackbird male and female, and a female American Goldfinch who was hanging out with the Bluebirds. I tried three or four short videos while trying to lean across from the driver's seat towards the passenger seat. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep myself steady, so the videos do bounce around far too much. Also, I find the red button on both cameras in a rather awkward place. I think I must have been already zoomed in when I started taking each video. I started taking a video or two on our South Texas trip and still haven't read up how to take video. I need to find out if videos are always this shape (so wide and not very high) and I need to think about whether to turn off the sound - I had hoped to catch the Snipe making its call, but all I got was the sound of my hazard lights clicking non-stop! Anyway, I'm posting them on Flickr so that I at least know where to find them if I ever want them. By the time I got out SW of the city, a few dark clouds were rolling in and it was windy. I remember the wind slightly ruffling the Snipe's feathers, but some of the other birds were having a hard time keeping their balance, especially the Tern. Though these birds didn't come with the excitement of being lifers for me, I get just as much enjoyment from finding and taking photos of these birds that I have seen before, many times over the years. Which is just as well, as I so rarely see a new bird species, except for when I am fortunate enough to go on special trip like the one to South Texas. It also feels good to be able to share a few 'better' photos, when I post so many that are just record shots : )

7 June 2019 - wet and windy weather! 3C (windchill is -2C!). Snow falling in the mountains, but it looks like Calgary will be spared. A couple of days ago, I was so relieved that I was all caught up with my recent photos, leaving me with just the last few days of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas to sort through, edit and post. Then I happened to check the weather forecast and discovered that we were in for a few days of rain. That settled it, I knew I had better go for a short drive, and ended up going to my 'usual' places. Four of the birds I saw and was able to photograph were a Wilson's Snipe, a Black Tern on a fence post, a Mountain Bluebird against a field of yellow, and a female American Goldfinch who was hanging out with a pair of Bluebirds. I tried three or four short videos while trying to lean across from the driver's seat towards the passenger seat. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep myself steady, so the videos do bounce around far too much. Also, I find the red button on both cameras in a rather awkward place. I think I must have been already zoomed in when I started taking each video. I started taking a video or two on our South Texas trip and still haven't read up how to take video. I need to find out if videos are always this shape (so wide and not very high) and I need to think about whether to turn off the sound - I had hoped to catch the Snipe making its call, but all I got was the sound of my hazard lights clicking non-stop! Anyway, I'm posting them on Flickr so that I at least know where to find them if I ever want them. By the time I got out SW of the city, a few dark clouds were rolling in and it was windy. I remember the wind slightly ruffling the Snipe's feathers, but the other three birds were having a hard time keeping their balance, especially the Tern. Though these birds didn't come with the excitement of being lifers for me, I get just as much enjoyment from finding and taking photos of these birds that I have seen before, many times over the years. Which is just as well, as I so rarely see a new bird species, except for when I am fortunate enough to go on special trip like the one to South Texas. It also feels good to be able to share a few 'better' photos, when I post so many that are just record shots : )

A brief update on the Facebook issue: the photographer responsible for the posting has now deleted the post and all the angry, accusing comments left by people who changed the subject from road safety to people going out to photograph owls far too often, taking too many photos, etc., etc.. Thank goodness, I can now try and forget the whole thing, though it really doesn't make me look forward to going anywhere to take photos. This is what I wrote under a previousy posted photo taken at the same time of the same bird: "What a SAD, SAD day it was yesterday, 8 June 2018! If you are familiar with Anthony Bourdain, chef, traveller, explorer, story-teller, a man who got on well with anyone, anywhere, no matter who they were, or where they come from, this was a very sad day, hearing of his death. I have watched his TV shows for a long time, enjoying seeing him interact with local people in all sorts of exotic or unusual places, that most people would never dream of visiting. A real people person. I have always loved the way he reminds us, with such ease, that people are the same everywhere on this planet., yet celebrating each person's uniqueness. I remember last year, two of his shows covered Trinidad & Tobago (which I had just visited) and Oman (where I had lived for 6 years). He had overcome so many struggles through his life and had become very successful in what he loved to do. Unfortunately, deep demons had obviously not left him completely, as, at the age of 61, he committed suicide while filming in France. So sad for the world to lose such a unique, kind man, and unbearably sad for his young daughter and his family and friends. www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html www.eater.com/2017/6/11/15771544/anthony-bourdain-oman-pa... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A friend had invited me to go with her the day before yesterday, 7 June 2018, to have lunch at the Delta Hotel in Kananaskis Village, and it felt good to breathe the mountain air. Of course, when I do go on a rare trip to the mountains, I go in search of birds, wildflowers, scenery - anything beautiful - so this outing was different and something I would never do myself. We both had to admit afterwards that the food was not good at all and the price was way beyond what was deserved. While typing these words, I suddenly remembered that I had read several reviews online before we went and they had said exactly the same thing. The staff were very pleasant and helpful, I should add. On the way home, I decided to drive back via my 'usual' area, to see if any of the Mountain Bluebirds and other species were out and about. Most did not disappoint. Usually, when I saw an Eastern Kingbird, it keeps flying from one fence post to the next, to the next, and so on, making it almost impossible to photograph. This was one lucky shot! "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/id

After editing and posting so many scenic shots recently, I needed to post something different, to remind everyone (and myself!) that I do also take bird photos, even close ones. Amazingly, I was able to edit and post these 11 photos this evening in one go, instead of having my computer freeze five or six times and having to find and reload all my files. It felt so good! I suspect it was simply pure luck, though I did do a Quick Scan and then a Full System Scan ths afternoon. Only two low-risk things came up and I fixed them. I don't think these had anything to do with my computer constantly freezing, though. A friend had invited me to go with her on 7 June 2018, to have lunch at the Delta Hotel in Kananaskis Village, and it felt good to breathe the mountain air. Of course, when I do go on a rare trip to the mountains, I go in search of birds, wildflowers, scenery - anything beautiful - so this outing was different and something I would never do myself. We both had to admit afterwards that the food was not good at all and the price was way beyond what was deserved. I suddenly remembered that I had read several reviews online before we went and they had said exactly the same thing. The staff were very pleasant and helpful, I should add. On the way home, I decided to drive back via my 'usual' area, to see if any of the Mountain Bluebirds and other species were out and about. This Eastern Kingbird posed very nicely for me, long enough to get two or three shots.

What a SAD, SAD day it was yesterday, 8 June 2018! If you are familiar with Anthony Bourdain, chef, traveller, explorer, story-teller, a man who got on well with anyone, anywhere, no matter who they were, or where they come from, this was a very sad day, hearing of his death. I have watched his TV shows for a long time, enjoying seeing him interact with local people in all sorts of exotic or unusual places, that most people would never dream of visiting. A real people person. I have always loved the way he reminds us, with such ease, that people are the same everywhere on this planet., yet celebrating each person's uniqueness. I remember last year, two of his shows covered Trinidad & Tobago (which I had just visited) and Oman (where I had lived for 6 years). He had overcome so many struggles through his life and had become very successful in what he loved to do. Unfortunately, deep demons had obviously not left him completely, as, at the age of 61, he committed suicide while filming in France. So sad for the world to lose such a unique, kind man, and unbearably sad for his young daughter and his family and friends. www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html www.eater.com/2017/6/11/15771544/anthony-bourdain-oman-pa... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today, I am posting three photos from our trip to Pt Pelee, Ontario, and the photo above that was taken SW of Calgary on 7 June. All the Pelee photos are from the afternoon of our very first day at Pt Pelee - a few more photos and I will have finished our first day there, leaving just 12 more days' worth of images left to edit and post, lol. I am trying to post more or less in the order that the photos were taken, and unfortunately, there are so many odds and ends that I want to keep just for the record. I promise that, later on, I will have photos of some very different things - thank goodness. I did not have much success with seeing and photographing all the tiny, very fast-moving Warblers at Pt Pelee, so I wanted to post the poor photos that I did get, at night, when most people are off Flickr. If anyone does happen to see them, please do let me know if I have given a wrong ID for any bird or plant. A friend had invited me to go with her the day before yesterday, 7 June 2018, to have lunch at the Delta Hotel in Kananaskis Village, and it felt good to breathe the mountain air. Of course, when I do go on a rare trip to the mountains, I go in search of birds, wildflowers, scenery - anything beautiful - so this outing was different and something I would never do myself. We both had to admit afterwards that the food was not good at all and the price was way beyond what was deserved. While typing these words, I suddenly remembered that I had read several reviews online before we went and they had said exactly the same thing. The staff were very pleasant and helpful, I should add. On the way home, I decided to drive back via my 'usual' area, to see if any of the Mountain Bluebirds and other species were out and about. Most did not disappoint. Usually, when I saw an Eastern Kingbird, it keeps flying from one fence post to the next, to the next, and so on, making it almost impossible to photograph. This was one lucky shot! "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/id

It was the annual May Species Count on the weekend of 28 and 29 May 2016. My group's Saturday Count was down in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Votier's Flats and Shaw's Meadow. On the Sunday, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. After the Count on 28 May, I decided to go SW of the city later in the afternoon, just for a quick drive. While I was in the area, I checked for the usual birds - Mountain Bluebirds, Snipe, Red-winged Blackbirds, etc.. I was happy when I saw this Eastern Kingbird perched long enough to grab a couple of quick shots. "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/id It was a late start to my day this morning. Yesterday, 6 August 2016, was a physically and mentally exhausting day, and I'm still feeling the effects. A great day, too, thanks to friend, Sandy! She very kindly picked me up around 8:15 am and we drove SW of the city and SW of Millarville to Rod Handfield's acreage. For a number of years, this has been one of my favourite places to explore, as his forest tends to be full of all sorts of beautiful finds. One of the two best places that I know for mushrooms, the other being Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. This year has turned out to be great for fungi, thanks to all the endless, torrential rain we have been getting the last few weeks, apart from the scattering of sunny days. This year has so far had such weird weather - a very dry winter, a spring that was as dry and hot as a summer, and now a wet, thundery summer. We met a group of other interested people, most of whom we didn't know, and we searched the land for fungi. Right at the start, I was telling Sandy that on the last visit there, maybe four years ago, we had seen a beautiful Amanita Muscaria mushroom growing just a few feet from the start of the walk. Sure enough, there were several growing in exactly the same spot, which was so exciting. Later in the walk, we saw two other patches of absolute beauties of this poisonous species. The rain was spitting during our walk, and the forest was so dark, but amazingly, some of my photos came out well enough. Thanks so much, Karel, for organizing and leading this trip and for sharing your knowledge with us! Sandy and I left the group around lunchtime, to go looking at vehicles at one of the dealerships. In the last year and a half, I have had to put far too much money into repairs for my poor old 17+ year old car and finally, I knew that I had no choice but to replace it. The muffler and a few other things died several days ago and instead of spending a fortune on repair, I decided I would rather put that money towards a new vehicle. I had been thinking about replacing it the last few years, but now, enough is enough! I'm down to deciding between two models and will have to make up my mind today. All being well, within the coming week, I will once again have a set of wheels, which will feel wonderful. Thanks so much, Sandy, for making it possible for me to go on the great morning at Rod's place and then, for giving up your whole afternoon, helping me look at cars and for also test-driving both. Appreciated beyond words! You are making this whole ordeal of replacing my car so much less traumatizing than it would have otherwise been!!

On 30 May 2016, I decided that for once, I would go out in an evening to see if I could find a Great Gray Owl, SW of the city. Unfortunately, heavy black clouds were already starting to build, with patches of blue sky still showing. Once I hit the main highway, the rain started and continued till I got back home. I was determined to go and check out the various places where I had seen these owls just a few years ago. The two separate owls I found were not far from previous sightings - one along the main road and the other was flying over a distant field. Both were focused on hunting. Feeling so happy after seeing the first owl, I decided to drive a second time along a different area, just to check one last time before going home. That's when I noticed a large bird way off in the distance, flying over a field. I was amazed when it flew to a tree within camera reach and then even more surprised when it flew to a fairly close fence post. The owls looked rather wet and a little wind-blown in most of my photos, but, needless to say, I went home feeling thrilled to bits. I don't remember ever seeing an owl shake the rain off its feathers just like a dog shakes off water. While I was in the area, I checked for the usual birds - Mountain Bluebirds, Snipe, Red-winged Blackbirds, etc.. I was really happy when I saw this Eastern Kingbird perched on a fence post. "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/id

Happy November, everyone! On 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. This beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lyn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can, is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a very distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped. Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lyn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a few Thistles, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches). The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings, SW of Calgary. The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger A report from 2002: esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-... After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated! For a list of the 53 species of bird that were seen at Marsland Basin, look under the Badger family photo. flic.kr/p/wygV8B

Just waiting for news about my daughter, who has been in the hospital since early yesterday evening, complaining of a lot of lower abdominal pain. I got an e-mail from her dad late yesterday (he couldn't find my phone number), letting me know that she had been there for hours, but that there was still no news. Needless to say, I'm feeling sick to the stomach, having gone through everything with my older daughter, who died in the same hospital in January. Hoping so much that this is nothing serious. Got up early this morning, after a sleepless night of course, and e-mail news let me know that she has had X-Rays, CT Scan and was waiting for an Ultrasound. Apparently, she is still in severe pain, but at least they have started trying to find out what is wrong. It is still pouring with rain this morning and there was an almighty crash of thunder that almost sounded as if it came from my backyard! After such a hot, hot summer, rain is so welcome, especially when it falls on a day that I have no trip planned : ) On 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. Part of this beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lyn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped. Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lyn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a few Thistles, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches). The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings. The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger A report from 2002: esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-... After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated! For a list of the 53 species of bird that were seen at Marsland Basin, look under the Badger family photo. flic.kr/p/wygV8B

Note: this photo is NOT my "main" (i.e. very last to be uploaded) photo out of the three I've posted this morning. I uploaded this and the next shot first and then uploaded the main image (Echinacea flower) separately, to see if that makes any difference. I did try doing it a couple of times this way weeks ago and seem to remember that there was something I didn't like with the result, but can't for the life of me remember what it was, ha. Hopefully, Flickr (or something else) won't change the order of the way you see my photos displayed! On 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. Part of this beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lyn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped. Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lyn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a Thistle or two, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches. The Eastern Kingbird landed on this very high wire, giving me the chance for a reasonably close photo - of course an old, weathered fence post would have been even better, ha. After cropping, the quality is not the best. The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings. The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger A report from 2002: esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-... After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated! For a list of the 53 species of bird that were seen yesterday morning, look under the Badger family photo. flic.kr/p/wygV8B

This is the first time I have ever been able to take a close shot of an Eastern Kingbird. After the usual flying from fence post to fence post, searching for food, this bird eventually flew across the road and stayed on this post long enough for me to take a few shots. From a distance, it could almost have been mistaken for a Tree Swallow, at a quick glance. "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/id After two dreary days of rain, the sun finally broke through the clouds yesterday afternoon, so I decided to take a short drive SW of the city and see if I could see Mountain Bluebirds and Wilson's Snipe. These are two of my favourite birds to photograph and I was lucky to see both. However, one of my usual pair of Bluebirds was nowhere to be seen and instead, a Tree Swallow was looking out of the Bluebirds' nesting box. I did get a distant glimpse of a Bluebird and managed one quick shot, but when I looked at the photo when I got home, I saw that this male had a metal band on its leg. So, unless it had just been banded in the last couple of days, it was a different bird from the one in many of my photos. I didn't see much else during this drive, and just the usual. Felt so good to be out in sunshine, though. Pam, nice to bump into you, too!

The sun was shining two afternoons ago, so I decided to take a short drive SW of the city and see if I could find Mountain Bluebirds and Wilson's Snipe. These are two of my favourite birds to photograph and I was lucky with both. Didn't see much else, other than Blue-winged Teal, a Clay-coloured Sparrow, Red-winged Backbirds, Tree Swallows and this Eastern Kingbird. "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Kingbird/id

A photo of an Eastern Kingbird, taken when I went for a drive along the backroads SW of Calgary, on 17 August 2013. I haven't done that drive for months, mainly because of the winter weather, but can't wait to get in my car and go. "With dark gray upperparts and a neat white tip to the tail, the Eastern Kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit. And this big-headed, broad-shouldered bird does mean business—just watch one harassing crows, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and other birds that pass over its territory. Eastern Kingbirds often perch on wires in open areas and either sally out for flying insects or flutter slowly over the tops of grasses. They spend winters in South American forests, where they eat mainly fruit." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_kingbird/id

Grabbed this one from my archives, from July 21st - I don't seem to be getting enough time to look through my photos at the moment, so I'm not necessarily too happy with some that I post. This one just felt summery, which is needed today. Photographed this Eastern Kingbird just south of Highway 22X, along 85th St. loop. It's -3C (windchill -9C) this morning. I thought I heard on my radio alarm that there was a 60% chance of snow today, but it doesn't mention it on the Weather Network. Hoping snow keeps away, as they are supposed to be coming to replace my front door this morning - they came a week ago to explain that there had been a mix-up and they couldn't do the door that day. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_kingbird/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Kingbird

This Eastern Kingbird gave me a bit of a hard time flying from post to post as I followed it slowly in my car along one of the backroads south west of the city a couple of days ago. Couldn't get close, so had to crop. I rather liked the lichen-covered fence post it perched on here - and for me, a blurry background is always welcomed, especially as it doesn't always happen : ) Several of us had a long, but so enjoyable, day out south of the city today. We were lucky enough to be given the chance to make a return visit to Janel B. and her family's ranch, near Millarville. A delightful family who make us all feel so welcome! We had such an interesting day, walking though the forest that is part of their land, recording all the flora and fauna that we saw. Best of all, we were accompanied for the whole day by two youngsters: their son, Trystan, and a close friend of his, Casey (sorry guys, I need to check on the spelling of both your names!). Talk about delightful kids, and very helpful in helping to find all sorts of things in the woods, especially fungi and bugs!!! I found myself wishing that all kids could grow up in such a place and being so in-touch with nature! Wonderful to see! Thank you both for your much enjoyed company and for all your help, both of you! I suspect you will both sleep really well tonight - I've just woken up from falling asleep in front of the TV this early evening! Trystan, if you read this, I haven't had time yet to go through my photos from today, but will very slowly get a few of the better ones added to Flickr. Thank you from all of us for a lovely day! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Kingbird

I was SO lucky to get this shot the other day! I was driving through Fish Creek Park and was about to turn into the parking lot, when this beautiful Eastern Kingbird flew and landed on a fencepost near the road. Managed a couple of shots before it flew off. These birds can display aggressive behaviour towards intruders who happen to venture near their nest. "It is widely distributed in southern Alberta in the southern grasslands, aspen parkland, and southern boreal forest. The Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) is a neotropical migrant that winters in South America. It is found wherever it can hunt flying insects, preferring open sites such as woodland edges, and riparian habitat. Their diet is flying insects, supplemented by fruit in winter." talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=205