Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Least Chipmunk

"The diet of the least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) consists mainly of seeds, nuts and fruits, although it will also take other plant material, such as leaves and flowers, as well as fungi, insects and occasionally birds’ eggs. The least chipmunk may also sometimes feed on carrion. While foraging, the least chipmunk will often fill its cheek pouches with seeds and nuts, which it then hoards in various locations or carries to its burrow to store for the winter. This behaviour, typical of chipmunks, is reflected in the scientific name of the genus Tamias, which comes from the Greek for ‘storer’ or ‘distributor’." From Arkive. www.arkive.org/least-chipmunk/tamias-minimus/ We saw this little Least Chipmunk yesterday afternoon, while we were on a birding walk at the west end of South Glenmore Park as far as Weaselhead. It was busy eating and stuffing its cheek pouches with nuts and seeds. We also saw two extremely distant Great Horned Owl owlets sitting together in a tree on a distant hillside. I have missed so many of the birding walks (and botany walks) and there is just one more walk left and then they come to an end till the end of August/beginning of September. Yesterday afternoon's walk was very enjoyable, as was a stop at the Good Earth cafe afterwards : ) Will add our leaders' final list of species seen - thanks for a great walk Janet, Bernie and Stephen!: FFCPPSoc. Birding West end of South Glenmore Park, Calgary. 1:15-4:15 PM. Sun. June 12/16. Gusting West winds 30 - 40 Km/hr, 21 to 23C, Sunny skies. 1. Great Blue Heron - 1 2. Swainson's Hawk - 1 seen by BD pre-walk 3. Franklin's Gull - 60 4. Great Horned Owl - 2 juveniles 5. Downy Woodpecker - 4 (including pair seen at nest sight feeding young) 6. Eastern Phoebe - 2 7. Least Flycatcher - 4 heard 8. Red-eyed Vireo - 4 heard 9. American Crow - 7 10. Tree Swallow - 3 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2 including one flying into nest 12. White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 13. House Wren - 3 heard 14. American Robin - 1 15. Veery - 2 heard 16. Cedar Waxwing - 3 17. Yellow Warbler - 6 (5 heard, 1 seen) 18. Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 heard 19. Clay-coloured Sparrow - 4 20. White-throated Sparrow - 2 heard 21. Red-winged Blackbird - 13 22. Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 23. American Goldfinch - 4 24. House Sparrow - 1 White-tailed Deer - 1 Least Chipmunk - 1 Red Squirrel - 1 Swallow-tailed Butterfly - 8 As usual on our birding walks, I take very few photos, so yesterday after the walk, I decided I would drive to a wetland in SW Calgary to check on the Red-necked Grebes. The light was harsh and I had to look into the sun and couldn't even tell if there were any babies. Obviously the wrong time of day to go there. From there, I decided to go SW of the city and check on Bluebirds, Snipe and maybe even a Great Gray Owl if I was very lucky. Only stopped at one Bluebird box and the parents were busy bringing insects to feed their babies. Every now and then, a baby would peer out of the small hole, so I know it won't be long till they fledge. Driving along one road to search for an owl, I noticed a truck pulled over in the distance. I always slow right down when I see a vehicle stopped, just in case it is a photographer taking photos of something interesting. I never want to spook a bird or animal and spoil a photographer's fun. I was so focused on the truck, looking to see if the driver was pointing a camera, that at first I didn't notice the person standing the other side of the road OR the owl sitting on the fence! When I realized it was a friend, I pulled over, got out and took a few photos. I don't know if this was one of the two Great Grays that I had seen within the last 10 days or so. It is possible either way. Also spotted two Bobolinks chasing each other and then disappearing - no chance for a photo.

Amazing, our temperature yesterday, 19 April 2016, got up to 27C! We have been having summer weather and it's only spring. The temperature in Calgary climbed high enough yesterday to top a century-old weather record. "According to Environment Canada, the previous record high for Calgary on April 19 was recorded at the Calgary International Airport in 1910 when it was 26.7 C. Calgary had tied that record by 2 p.m. and beat it at around 5 p.m. by reaching 27.5 C." globalnews.ca/news/2647710/calgary-poised-to-break-100-ye... This photo was taken on 31 March 2016, on a birding walk in North Glenmore Park and Weaselhead as far as the green, metal bridge. No sign of the sun until our walk was over. When I opened my front door, I realized just how gloomy it was outside, with dark grey clouds filling the sky. Temperature was 3C to 5C. Far from a good day to take photos, but we were still quite lucky with the bird and mammal species we saw. We split into three groups, going in different directions, but still eventually covering the same locations. My group looked out over the Glenmore Reservoir and then drove through the park to the Crowchild Stormwater Ponds. After we returned to the main parking lot, we walked down into Weaselhead, crossing the green, metal bridge, and then walked back up the long hill. Everyone enjoyed watching this little Least Chipmunk stuffing his cheek pouches with nuts and seeds. He was so small, so fast, and SO cute. "A small rodent with a long, narrow but fairly bushy tail, the least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) is the smallest and most widely distributed chipmunk species in North America. The diet of the least chipmunk consists mainly of seeds, nuts and fruits, although it will also take other plant material, such as leaves and flowers, as well as fungi, insects and occasionally birds’ eggs. The least chipmunk may also sometimes feed on carrion. While foraging, the least chipmunk will often fill its cheek pouches with seeds and nuts, which it then hoards in various locations or carries to its burrow to store for the winter. This behaviour, typical of chipmunks, is reflected in the scientific name of the genus Tamias, which comes from the Greek for ‘storer’ or ‘distributor’." From the Arkive website. www.arkive.org/least-chipmunk/tamias-minimus/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_chipmunk I will add the list of species compiled by our leaders: Canada Goose-40 Trumpeter Swan-25 American Wigeon-3. Mallard-20 Green-winged Teal-1 m(ale). Bufflehead-1 Common Goldeneye-50 Common Merganser-80 Bald Eagle-1, imm(ature) unsuccessfully trying to capture a Common Goldeneye. Northern Goshawk-1 Ring-billed Gull-50 California Gull? - 4 Herring Gull-2+ Great Horned Owl-2 Downy Woodpecker-4 Northern Flicker-7+. 5 in Wslhd parking lot, landing on utility pole. Blue Jay-9, in one group at parking lot Black-billed Magpie-12 American Crow-8 Common Raven-2 Black-capped Chickadee-30 Red-breasted Nuthatch-7 White-breasted Nuthatch-2 American Robin-5+ American Tree Sparrow-3 Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco-3 House Finch-4 White-winged Crossbill-50+ Common Redpoll-1 Pine Siskin-30 American Goldfinch-1 heard. Coyote-1 Red Squirrel-2 Eastern Gray Squirrel-1, with lots of rufous on ears, neck and legs, suggestive of Fox Squirrel. Least Chipmunk-3 Snowshoe Hare-1 After the walk, friend Sandy and I went for lunch at a nearby cafe. A savoury crepe and welcome coffee really hit the spot. Great to get the chance to chat with you and catch up on news, Sandy!

Added later, in the evening, on 1 April 2016. I don't know how many of you make posters through fd's Scout program. I have just finished creating 166 posters (lol!!!) and 10 for my daughter today, thanks to fd's annual April 1st 'treat' for us. That is one disadvantage of having so many images on Flickr - too many posters to make. All ones photos are displayed in 'Order of Interestingness" just for today. I love these attractive posters, and they are a great way to keep a record of every photo that you have posted on Flickr. Something to keep in mind, given the various articles and comments about whether Flickr is likely to be closing down or not. I guess we will all find out, eventually. All three photos that I've uploaded today were taken yesterday morning, on a birding walk in North Glenmore Park and Weaselhead as far as the green, metal bridge. No sign of the sun until our walk was over. When I opened my front door, I realized just how gloomy it was outside, with dark grey clouds filling the sky. Temperature was 3C to 5C. Far from a good day to take photos, but we were still quite lucky with the bird and mammal species we saw. I had to brighten all three photos, but when I see them this morning, they all still look rather dark - and I think I'm too tired to brighten them more. We split into three groups, going in different directions, but still eventually covering the same locations. My group looked out over the Glenmore Reservoir and then drove through the park to the Crowchild Stormwater Ponds. After we returned to the main parking lot, we walked down into Weaselhead, crossing the green, metal bridge, and then walked back up the long hill. Everyone enjoyed watching this little Least Chipmunk stuffing his cheek pouches with nuts and seeds. He was so small, so fast, and SO cute. "A small rodent with a long, narrow but fairly bushy tail, the least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) is the smallest and most widely distributed chipmunk species in North America. The diet of the least chipmunk consists mainly of seeds, nuts and fruits, although it will also take other plant material, such as leaves and flowers, as well as fungi, insects and occasionally birds’ eggs. The least chipmunk may also sometimes feed on carrion. While foraging, the least chipmunk will often fill its cheek pouches with seeds and nuts, which it then hoards in various locations or carries to its burrow to store for the winter. This behaviour, typical of chipmunks, is reflected in the scientific name of the genus Tamias, which comes from the Greek for ‘storer’ or ‘distributor’." From the Arkive website. www.arkive.org/least-chipmunk/tamias-minimus/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_chipmunk I will add the list of species compiled by our leaders: Canada Goose-40 Trumpeter Swan-25 American Wigeon-3. Mallard-20 Green-winged Teal-1 m(ale). Bufflehead-1 Common Goldeneye-50 Common Merganser-80 Bald Eagle-1, imm(ature) unsuccessfully trying to capture a Common Goldeneye. Northern Goshawk-1 Ring-billed Gull-50 California Gull? - 4 Herring Gull-2+ Great Horned Owl-2 Downy Woodpecker-4 Northern Flicker-7+. 5 in Wslhd parking lot, landing on utility pole. Blue Jay-9, in one group at parking lot Black-billed Magpie-12 American Crow-8 Common Raven-2 Black-capped Chickadee-30 Red-breasted Nuthatch-7 White-breasted Nuthatch-2 American Robin-5+ American Tree Sparrow-3 Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco-3 House Finch-4 White-winged Crossbill-50+ Common Redpoll-1 Pine Siskin-30 American Goldfinch-1 heard. Coyote-1 Red Squirrel-2 Eastern Gray Squirrel-1, with lots of rufous on ears, neck and legs, suggestive of Fox Squirrel. Least Chipmunk-3 Snowshoe Hare-1 After the walk, friend Sandy and I went for lunch at a nearby cafe. A savoury crepe and welcome coffee really hit the spot. Great to get the chance to chat with you and catch up on news, Sandy!

This photo of a little Least Chipmunk was taken on 21 June 2015, when some of us walked to a campground to find an outhouse before starting on a hike along the Crandell Lake Trail, in Waterton Lakes National Park. The least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) is the smallest species of chipmunk, and the most widespread in North America. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_chipmunk I was so lucky to be invited to join friends Sandy and Heide on a three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, from 19-21 (inclusive) June 2015. We met up with other members of the Alberta Native Plant Council for their annual Botany Alberta weekend. Most people who attended stayed at the Crooked Creek Campground, a 5.6 km drive east of the Waterton Park Gate on Highway 5, but my friends and I stayed at the Crandell Mountain Lodge on the edge of Waterton town. The ANPC people had a list of species that they hoped to find, and they were very successful. Our stay down south overlapped the annual Waterton Wildflower Festival, but we came across very few people on our various drives and hikes. Needless to say, I was extremely fortunate to spend three days with people who are very knowledgeable about plants (and other things). This meant that I got to see many wildflower species, including several that were new to me, such as the gorgeous Mariposa Lily. It was one of the flowers that was on my Wish List - and there were hundreds of them to be seen! I had also never seen the spectacular Bear Grass and I was so thrilled that there were still several plants in bloom. Absolutely made my day! Our two main hikes of the weekend were the Bertha Lake Trail as far as the Bertha Falls (on 20 June), and the Crandell Lake Trail (on 21 June). Makes me smile when a described "short, easy hike" in a book or on the Internet turns into a full day of exploration along the trail, taking hours to reach the destination, though returning to the cars in a much shorter time. Our walks/hikes are very slow-paced with endless stops to look at/for plants and to take photos. This makes it possible for me to go along. Crandell Lake from the Crandell Campground trailhead: Return distance 4.0 km (2.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (we took all day!). Bertha Falls from the townsite trailhead: Return distance 5.6 km (3.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (again, we took all day). For me, this hike felt much further than it was! The wind made photographing plants a real challenge, including the beautiful Mariposa Lilies in the meadow along the Hay Barn road. Though I took plenty of photos, I wasn't sure that I would end up with any that were sharp enough. Trying to catch a quick shot when a flower is blowing in and out of the viewfinder is not easy! Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to get down and take macro shots (my lens needs to be about 4" away from the subject), so my photos have to be telemacro. I've been trying to find a list of plant species in Waterton Park, but have so far been out of luck. I do have the book, "Wildflowers of Waterton Park" by Jacinthe Lavoie and Ian Wilson, which has an Index of Plant names, but I was hoping to find a list that I could print out.

Our temperature this afternoon (27 June 2015) is supposed to get up to 32C (will actually feel like 34C) and the same is forecast for tomorrow. Much, much too hot for me, especially with no air-conditioning. This little female Least Chipmunk was busy feeding along the Bertha Lake Trail (as far as Bertha Falls) in Waterton Lakes National Park, on 20 June 2015. Not the best lighting, but I think she's still cute. "The Least Chipmunk has two whitish and three dark stripes on each side of the face, and four light and five dark stripes down its back. The overall colour is a greyish brown, but may be quite rust-coloured during the mid-summer months. The smallest of the western Chipmunks, the Least's head and body measures only 93-114mm (3.65 to 4.5 inches) with a bushy tail almost equally as long, which, when running, is held straight up. This fast-moving and agile mammal is strictly diurnal, spending most of its time in a frenzied search for food, much of which it stores for winter." From the old www.weaselhead.org&quot ; website. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_chipmunk I was so lucky to be invited to join friends Sandy and Heide on a three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, from 19-21 (inclusive) June 2015. We met up with other members of the Alberta Native Plant Council for their annual Botany Alberta weekend. Most people who attended stayed at the Crooked Creek Campground, a 5.6 km drive east of the Waterton Park Gate on Highway 5, but my friends and I stayed at the Crandell Mountain Lodge on the edge of Waterton town. The ANPC people had a list of species that they hoped to find, and they were very successful. Our stay down south overlapped the annual Waterton Wildflower Festival, but we came across very few people on our various drives and hikes. Needless to say, I was extremely fortunate to spend three days with people who are very knowledgeable about plants and many other things. This meant that I got to see many wildflower species, including several that were new to me, such as the gorgeous Mariposa Lily. It was one of the flowers that was on my Wish List - and there were hundreds of them to be seen! I had also never seen the spectacular Bear Grass and I was so thrilled that there were still several plants in bloom. Absolutely made my day! Our two main hikes of the weekend were the Bertha Lake Trail as far as the Bertha Falls (on 20 June), and the Crandell Lake Trail (on 21 June). Makes me smile when a described "short, easy hike" in a book or on the Internet turns into a full day of exploration along the trail, taking hours to reach the destination, though returning to the cars in a much shorter time. Our walks/hikes are very slow-paced with endless stops to look at/for plants and to take photos. This makes it possible for me to go along. Crandell Lake from the Crandell Campground trailhead: Return distance 4.0 km (2.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (we took all day!). Bertha Falls from the townsite trailhead: Return distance 5.6 km (3.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (again, we took all day). For me, this hike felt much further than it was! The wind made photographing plants a real challenge, including the beautiful Mariposa Lilies in the meadow along the Hay Barn road. Trying to catch a quick shot when a flower is blowing in and out of the viewfinder is not easy! Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to get down and take macro shots (my lens needs to be about 4" away from the subject), so my photos have to be telemacro. I've been trying to find an online list of plant species in Waterton Park, but have so far been out of luck. I do have the book, "Wildflowers of Waterton Park" by Jacinthe Lavoie and Ian Wilson, which has an Index of Plant names, but I was hoping to find a list that I could print out. It's going to take me ages to type descriptions for the various photos I'll slowly be posting, and I will no doubt keep adding new bits and pieces over time. There is just so much information I want to add, but my descriptions are already way too long. Also, my photos of quite a few of the plants will be posted for the use of ANPC members and are, unfortunately, really poor images. Need them added to my Waterton Lakes album, so please bear with me : ) Luckily, you don't even need to look at them.

Saw this little guy on a walk this morning. Usually, they scamper away at top speed. "The Least Chipmunk has two whitish and three dark stripes on each side of the face, and four light and five dark stripes down its back. The overall colour is a greyish brown, but may be quite rust-coloured during the mid-summer months. The smallest of the western Chipmunks, the Least's head and body measures only 93-114mm (3.65 to 4.5 inches) with a bushy tail almost equally as long, which, when running, is held straight up. This fast-moving and agile mammal is strictly diurnal, spending most of its time in a frenzied search for food, much of which it stores for winter." From www.weaselhead.org .