Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Order: Piciformes

An overcast, dreary morning here today, 14 December 2015, Temperature is -5C (windchill -11C). There was s slight dusting of snow overnight. And Flickr is being a real pain this morning - too many problems. This photo shows a tree that has had bits of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, once it has been removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker This bird, uncommon in Alberta, was seen on 28 November 2015, in Fish Creek Park, when I went on a morning walk with friends. We had seen Three-toed Woodpeckers in this particular forested area before, in other years, so we were hoping one might be around. When we stopped to look and listen, I heard a distant tapping and, when we walked in that direction, one of the other birders caught sight of this bird. It was moving through a tangle of branches, up and down the tree trunk. These birds just never keep still, so I had about 50 photos to delete and just a handful to keep.

This photo shows a tree that has had bits of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, once it has been removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker This bird was seen on 28 November 2015, in Fish Creek Park, when I went on a morning walk with friends. We had seen Three-toed Woodpeckers in this particular forested area before, in other years, so we were hoping one might be around. When we stopped to look and listen, I heard a distant tapping and, when we walked in that direction, one of the other birders caught sight of this bird. It was moving through a tangle of branches, up and down the tree trunk, but I did manage to get a usable shot of the whole bird. Was also able to get several half-decent closer shots, including this one. These birds just never keep still, so I had about 50 photos to delete and just a handful to keep. Janet and Bernie's list of birds seen: 1. Canada Goose - 19 2. Cooper's Hawk - 1 3. Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 4. Downy Woodpecker - 1 5. THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 6. Black-billed Magpie - 5 7. Common Raven - 5 8. Black-capped Chickadee - 30+ 9. BOREAL CHICKADEE - 3 10. White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 11 12. BROWN CREEPER - 1 13. TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE - 1 14. Bohemian Waxwing - 28 15. White-winged Crossbill - 23 16. House Finch - 4 17 Pine Grosbeak - 3

This photo shows a tree that has had bits of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, once it has been removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker This bird was seen yesterday, 28 November 2015, in Fish Creek Park, when I went on a morning walk with friends. We had seen Three-toed Woodpeckers in this particular forested area before, in other years, so we were hoping one might be around. When we stopped to look and listen, I heard a distant tapping and, when we walked in that direction, one of the other birders caught sight of this bird. It was moving through a tangle of branches, up and down the tree trunk, but I did manage to get this shot of the whole bird. Was also able to get several half-decent closer shots that I will post sometime. These birds just never keep still, so I had about 50 photos to delete and just a handful to keep. Janet and Bernie's list of birds seen: 1. Canada Goose - 19 2. Cooper's Hawk - 1 3. Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 4. Downy Woodpecker - 1 5. THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 6. Black-billed Magpie - 5 7. Common Raven - 5 8. Black-capped Chickadee - 30+ 9. BOREAL CHICKADEE - 3 10. White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 11 12. BROWN CREEPER - 1 13. TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE - 1 14. Bohemian Waxwing - 28 15. White-winged Crossbill - 23 16. House Finch - 4 17 Pine Grosbeak - 3 After our walk, a few of us went for a really enjoyable lunch at a restaurant near the park. After that, I called in to fill up my car with gas and a couple of minutes later, was involved in a car accident - not my fault, thank goodness! The driver of the other vehicle said that the man in the right lane had slowed down and waved her to go in front of him, so that she could cut across both our lanes. Why on earth he would wave her to go, on a busy road of MOVING traffic, I don't know. Or maybe he didn't notice that she wanted to cut ACROSS the lanes of traffic. Too bad that he kept going and disappeared, ha! Also, I don't know why she was trying to cut across traffic when coming out of a minor exit road at such a dangerous spot. She said she didn't usually do that. Also don't know why she trusted another driver's directions in moving traffic. Maybe he just didn't see me coming up alongside him - and his car was blocking the other car from my sight, until she pulled right out in front of me, and my car went into hers. No obvious damage like dents or scratches (thanks to the rubber? bumper on my car), but when the other driver told me to check the hood of my car, we found that it opened up OK but then we had difficulty getting it closed again. Annoyingly, the small lever inside my car for opening the hood snapped off when I pushed it up, so I probably can't open the hood at all now. Needless to say, I'm extremely thankful that things were no worse than they were!

Four days ago, 8 August 2015, I decided to drive SW of the city for a while. It was a Saturday, so I thought I would go and check if there were other people parked at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. I had more or less stopped going into the forest there by myself, especially the last couple of years, knowing that Cougar and Bears can be seen there. All I have seen - so far! - is a Moose on a couple of occasions. The place gives me the creeps, so I usually just walk through the trees closest to the parking lot. So, this is what I did. Just a minute or two after entering the forest near the trail, I flushed a Grouse, which scared the life out of me. The opposite side of the trail, where I usually find a few mushrooms, had pools of water after the two devastating rain and hail storms that we had very recently. With several cars in the small parking lot, I decided to go just a short way into the park, trying to forget that animals can "smell fear". I did come across a few quite nice mushrooms, but with such a dry, hot summer, this is not a good year for fungi. The second time my heart started beating really fast was when I was trying to focus on a mushroom and I was aware of a deep, huffing kind of sound coming from right behind me. Turning around, dreading what I might see, I discovered it was just a small Red Squirrel, low down on his/her tree, just a couple of feet away from me. I've never ever heard a Squirrel make this kind of sound before! Sounded rather like what I imagine a bear might sound like. Almost back at the edge of the forest, I was happy as can be to hear quite a commotion that I then recognized as being American Three-toed Woodpeckers. There were three of them high up a tree, with at least one of them being a noisy, hungry juvenile that was feeding itself but every now and then would want the adult to feed it. Not sure if this was an adult or a young one in this photo. The light in the forest is not good for photos, but fortunately I got enough light on this bird's face. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round, so it's always a treat to see one - and especially three. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker

On 2 December 2014, I went on a birding walk at Votier's Flats, in Fish Creek Park, hoping that someone would be able to find the Black-backed Woodpecker that had been seen. We were out of luck, unfortunately - I have seen one before, though. After the walk, I again went over to Bebo Grove. No sign of the Barred Owl, but after a lot of searching for the owl, I happened to spot this female American Three-toed Woodpecker, presumably the mate of the male Woodpecker I had seen the previous day. (Males have a patch of yellow on top of the head). This photo also shows a tree that has had some of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are in tunnels beneath the bark of dead or dying trees, so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker

Taken two weeks ago (1 December 2014) in Fish Creek Park. After calling in at Votier’s Flats just before noon, I then drove over to Bebo Grove to see if there was any sign of the Barred Owl – no there wasn't and two other people had looked and been unsuccessful. I did see this male American Three-toed Woodpecker, though, which is always a treat, especially as it is a rare species in Alberta. I love the bright yellow feathers that only the males have. This photo shows a tree that has had a lot of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the small pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today, 16 December 2014, is the first Christmas Bird Count out of the city. We have to be down SE, ready to start the Count by 8:00 am. We end around 4:00 pm (maybe 4:30 pm), so it's a long day of searching. Just checked the weather forecast and found the following: “FOG ADVISORY. Persistent fog with visibility near zero is expected or occurring. Fog is becoming more widespread and is expanding westward. Many locations are reporting low visibilities this evening with near zero visibilities expected to develop tonight. As the fog continues to develop additional regions may be added to the advisory. Fog will be occurring with temperatures below freezing which may result in locally slippery conditions due to freezing fog. Fog will persist into Tuesday morning. Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations. If travelling, be prepared for areas of near zero visibility.” Lol, sounds like perfect birding weather – yeah, right!

This photo of a Black-backed Woodpecker was taken on 4 December 2014, when I went for a short walk in Fish Creek Park. I had been trying to do several short walks to see if it made any difference at all to the level of pain in my back. (Have to go for back X-Rays this week, hopefully today if I can get myself organized.) The weather has been so beautiful recently, too – we all know that it is going to change back to “winter” before too long. Also, a short time in the park can (if you are lucky!) be simply amazing. I happened to come across a female Pileated Woodpecker near the base of a tree. Almost impossible to get a sharp photo because she just didn’t stop banging her head against the tree. While I was trying to get a photo, a much smaller bird flew over my head and landed on the same tree, about 4’ higher. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that it was a male Black-backed Woodpecker (rare in Alberta, just like the two American Three-toed Woodpeckers that I saw in a different part of the park, on two different days last week). Talk about being lucky! The Black-backed Woodpecker is very similar to the American Three-toed Woodpecker - and the males of both species have the small yellow patch on the forehead. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is similar, but with white barring on back and hind neck, white line behind eye, weaker barring on flanks, and more white in wings." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-backed_Woodpecker/id

Taken five days ago (1 December 2014) in Fish Creek Park. After calling in at Votier’s Flats just before noon, I then drove over to Bebo Grove to see if there was any sign of the Barred Owl – no there wasn't and two other people had looked and been unsuccessful. I did see this male American Three-toed Woodpecker, though, which is always a treat, especially as it is rare species in Alberta. I love the bright yellow feathers that only the males have. This photo shows a tree that has had a lot of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the small pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. Unfortunately, this photo is not as sharp as I wish it had been. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker

Two days ago (1 December 2014), I called in at Votier’s Flats (in Fish Creek Park) just before noon, and then I drove over to Bebo Grove to see if there was any sign of the Barred Owl – no, there wasn't, and two other people had looked and been unsuccessful. I did see a male American Three-toed Woodpecker, though, which is always a treat, especially as it is rare in Alberta. Yesterday was almost a repeat of the previous day, except that I went on a birding walk at Votier's Flats, hoping that someone would be able to find the Black-backed Woodpecker that had been seen. We were out of luck, unfortunately - I have seen one before, though. After the walk, I again went over to Bebo Grove. No sign of the Barred Owl, but after a lot of searching, I happened to spot this female American Three-toed Woodpecker, presumably the mate of the male Woodpecker I had seen the previous day (photo posted yesterday). Like yesterday's photo, this one also shows a tree that has had bits of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are in tunnels beneath the bark, so the bark has to be removed. See the tongue in action, lol! Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. I think the tiny specks in this photo were from snow falling off one of the very high branches just as I was taking this photo. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker

Taken yesterday early afternoon (1 December 2014) in Fish Creek Park. After calling in at Votier’s Flats just before noon, I then drove over to Bebo Grove to see if there was any sign of the Barred Owl – no there wasn't and two other people had looked and been unsuccessful. I did see this male American Three-toed Woodpecker, though, which is always a treat, especially as it is rare in Alberta.. This photo shows a tree that has had bits of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are beneath the bark, so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. "The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker

The morning of 25 October 2014, I met up with friends to go birding. It was quite chilly first thing, only 3°C warming up to 6°C three hours later. We had 22 species of bird, though as usual, I don’t always see them all, as I don’t have binoculars. To mention just a few of our sightings - a formation of 15 Trumpeter Swans flying high overhead; a female Pileated Woodpecker; a huge flock of Bohemian Waxwings swarming in the distance plus a few smaller flocks; and this male American Three-toed Woodpecker. We had a very brief sighting of a bird of prey that flew out of some distant trees and was nowhere to be found – it was reported as a Barred Owl. This was at a different part of the park from where I was lucky enough to see one a few days ago. The only bird photos worth keeping were a handful of this American Three-toed Woodpecker. Always a treat to see one of these birds, especially as they are rare here. It closely resembles the Black-backed Woodpecker, which is also three-toed, and which is also rarely seen here. The following photo shows a tree that has had some of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. If you look at the top centre of the photo, you can just make out the twisting pattern of the tubes made by larvae. These are what the Woodpecker wants to get to, and so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. "Found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker After our walk, we drove to a small pub fairly close by for lunch. So enjoyable to just sit and chat and enjoy good company and good food – the Baked Lasagne was excellent!