Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: friend

Yet another day of Flickr not working properly. Will be so glad when they fix the map issue, for a start! Uploading this morning was fast. As you can tell, I have finally managed to get back to sorting and editing a few more (15 + 11) photos taken on our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, 19-31 March 2019. Apart from yesterday, the last photos from this holiday were posted om 20 May, three weeks ago. These photos look so drab in comparison to the colourful local birds I have been posting recently. Actually, I think Day 8 and Day 9 are going to be similar, but then Day 10 will have more colourful Texas birds. Despite the lack of close, colourful birds, Day 8 was an interesting day, spent at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. The forest was so different from anything I had ever seen, with Spanish Moss hanging from all the branches. It was quite a strange feeling to walk the trails, "Established in 1943 for the protection of migratory birds, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge happens to be positioned along an east-west and north-south juncture of two major migratory routes for many species of birds. It is also at the northern-most point for many species whose range extends south into Central and South America. The refuge is right in the middle of all this biological diversity, which is what makes this 2,088 acre parcel the ‘jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System.’ Though small in size, Santa Ana offers visitors an opportunity to see birds, butterflies and many other species not found anywhere else in the United States beyond deep South Texas." From link below. www.fws.gov/refuge/Santa_Ana/map.html

Tonight, I am posting six photos taken on our outing to the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad, on 19 March 2017. While these photos bring back great memories for myself, they are probably of little interest to most people. For that reason, I am posting them at night, when probably most people will not be on Flickr. I will post my usual three images tomorrow morning, though they are far from good photos. This outing really was the highlight of our holiday, kept to the last but one day in Trinidad. There was just one more outing the following morning, and then we spent that afternoon hanging out at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, photographing some of the birds and packing our bags ready for leaving in the middle of the night to catch our first flight home. On this day, we hiked to see the unusual Oilbirds in the morning and then we went to the Caroni Swamp in the afternoon and evening. We were lucky enough to see a Masked Cardinal along the edge of the Caroni Swamp, before going on the boat to see the Scarlet Ibis. At the Swamp, my six friends and I were privileged to be able to watch the arrival of huge flocks of amazing Scarlet Ibis flying in to roost. Will add this YouTube link (not my video) to give an idea of what our boat ride was like - including the large snake curled up in a tree over our heads! All the other boats we saw were packed full of people, but we were given a boat to ourselves, which was great. youtu.be/vV9XvW2JSVE This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my dear friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous. The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way. I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure. This is a video that I came across on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it. youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015. youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

This photo was taken yesterday morning, 20 January 2018, when I went on a walk in Carburn Park with birding friends. I always find that a walk along the Bow River gives very few photo opportunities, as the birds are too far away for photos, but it is a lovely park in which to spend time. They are also too far away for me to ID them, as I don't use binoculars. The always loyal Black-capped Chickadees flew in to see if anyone had any food. They were in luck, as this park, unlike Fish Creek Park, does not forbid the feeding of birds. Friend, Janet, was ready waiting, with a few seeds and nuts in her hand. As you can see, the sun was shining and actually it wasn't cold. Always good to spend time in great company, including going for coffee/lunch afterwards at the local Tim Horton's. Many thanks, Howard, for leading the group! "The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id "The chickadee's unerring spatial memory is remarkable enough, says Colin Saldanha, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University and an anatomist who has studied songbirds for six years. But it is what happens inside the tiny songbird's brain that Saldanha finds amazing. In the fall, as the chickadee is gathering and storing seeds, Saldanha says, its hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial organization and memory in many vertebrates, expands in volume by approximately 30 percent by adding new nerve cells. In songbirds, the hippocampus is located on the dorsal surface of the forebrain right beneath the skull. In mammals, the hippocampus is located beneath the cortex. In the spring, when its feats of memory are needed less, the chickadee's hippocampus shrinks back to its normal size, Saldanha says." From article on ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030912072156.htm

This photo was taken looking towards the sun, which was hidden behind thick cloud. I happened to spot something that didn't quite look like the surrounding small coniferous trees, and I took the shot to try and see if it was one of the friends I was with. As it turned out, it wasn't, but was someone else I knew. A friend invited me to go with him three days ago, on 27 November 2017, with plans to meet four other mutual friends out there. What a great day we had, with amazing scenery, beautiful weather until we got into the mountains and closer to our destination, and a wonderful sighting of 11 of these fascinating birds. I know for sure that I would never have found them on my own, especially as I don't own a pair of snowshoes, just my warm, winter boots. Out there, one absolutely has to have snowshoes, as the snow is knee- or thigh-deep, and walking is impossible without them. Mind you, last year, I did do the walk without snowshoes, but it was brutal and I was dragged uphill by a very kind friend, with help from others along the way! I was so grateful to everyone, as that was my very first sighting of these Ptarmigan, that I had longed to see for quite a few years. What a thrill it was! I had seen photos of them against the snow, and I longed to have the chance to try and take photos like that. So, three days ago, my friends had snowshoes and went off searching in all directions, while I searched close to where we were parked, and also enjoyed myself taking photos of the winter wonderland that surrounded us and that I so rarely see, especially in winter. From 1 December each year, the winter gates in Kananaskis close for months, partly for safety reasons, but also to allow the wildlife some peaceful time, especially when their young are born. Towards the end of our time out there, guess what my friends found. If these birds had a sense of humour, I can just picture them laughing at all the effort that everyone was putting into looking for them. At first, they flew just a short distance - actually in my direction! - but only one of them landed within my sight, and far, far away. It took me a while to see it, as especially from a distance, a white bird on white snow just isn't seen, except for the black beak and the little, shiny, black eyes. Friend, Lynn, called out to me and was waving her arms, telling me that there were four birds near where she was standing. When I reached the spot, one had taken off, but three remained. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one against a darker background of bushes, along with two others near it, but completely against a snowy background. Sun would have been most welcome, but unfortunately, we had to make the most of the low light. Unlike last year, my photos of these newest birds have practically no detail in their feathers - but I will very gladly take whatever I can get. Just as big a thrill to see them again as it was to see them for the very first time a year ago. Thanks, everyone, for walking so far in difficult surroundings. The gusts of fine, blowing snow didn't exactly make it more pleasant, but actually were quite refreshing in a strange way. Lovely to spend time with you all, and you did such a great job of finding our target birds and making sure that each one of us was able to see them. Thanks so much, Tony, for inviting me and for the ride, including that extra stretch of magnificent scenery that we unexpectedly drove through after we missed a turn : ) Also, it was nice to see a Shrike perched on a fence post along the back way home. My photos were pretty bad, very blurry, but I tried to rescue the 'best' one with a touch of filter in post-processing, just so that I could add it to the album for this trip. Such a great day! "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

The day before yesterday, 20 December 2016, was the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of High River, roughly 40 minutes' drive south of Calgary. This is one of my favourite Counts and I'm so glad that I managed to take part. I wasn't sure if I would feel well enough to go, thanks to the dizziness/light-headedness that I've had the last nine days. Had a doctor's appointment yesterday and was told that the problem was the tiny "rocks" that a person has in the inner ear. Apparently, it's a very common problem and hopefully it will either right itself or will be helped by exercises. Anyway, I didn't have to drive for the Count and there was not much walking - just around the various farms we called in at on our route. I don't know where all the farm cats were on this day, but I think the one in my photo plus another at the same farm were the only ones we saw. This beautiful cat was very active and, in the end, the only way I finally managed to get a photo was when Lorrie picked it up. The Count started at 8:00 am and my small group (seven of us in two cars) started at Frank Lake. I think we finished somewhere around 4:00 pm, and then met up with everyone else who had different routes at the meeting place to hand in the lists of species seen. The Potluck supper was delicious! Thank you so much to the ladies of High River who had prepared this for us. Many thanks to Greg Wagner, too, for organizing yet another great Count. Thanks, Lorrie and John for driving the car I was in! I will add our leader's list of species that my small group saw, in a comment box below. For me, the six Great Horned Owls (3 pairs) were the highlight of the day. The saddest thing we found was a dead Great Horned Owl that was in one of the huge Spruce trees in someone's yard. We couldn't tell the cause of death.

Friend, Karel, calls himself a Herper. “Herpetology (from Greek "herpien" meaning "to creep") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and reptiles (includingsnakes, lizards, amphisbaenids, turtles, terrapins, tortoises, crocodilians, and the tuataras).” From Wikipedia. Unfortunately, in Alberta, we have only one species of lizard and about four or five kinds of snake, so Karel has turned his attention to wildflowers, fungi, etc. He leads one of our botany outings each week (though I have missed most of them this season) and, if we are lucky enough to have had enough rain for enough mushrooms to grow, may lead a fungi walk or two. This photo of Karel was taken yesterday, 3 June 2016, when a few regulars were invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch, SW of Calgary, to do a Bio-blitz. Karel is holding a little Wood Frog; always a fun find on any trip. The day started very early for us, having to be at the meeting place for 7:00 am, so my alarms were set for 4:30 am. The sun was shining all day and the temperature was around 24C or 25C. Our leader creates a highly detailed list of all the plants, birds, insects, fungi, lichen, mosses that were seen during the few hours we were there. Can’t forget to include wildlife seen – one Red Squirrel : ) This list is also sent to the person who invited us there as well as to the participants. This was a new place for us to explore, though over the years, we had been to several other acreages not too far away. We strolled over grassy meadows with ponds, and through forest covered in deep, soft mosses. Everywhere was a carpet of Dandelions in bloom and in seed. For me, the highlight of the day was when a Morel mushroom was spotted! I so rarely see these and I have been hoping recently that someone would find one somewhere. A few bird species were seen, including a Belted Kingfisher which landed at the top of a very tall coniferous tree, looking rather out of place so high up. “In the 1990’s, developers started transforming 480 acres of rangeland in the Foothills of the Rockies into a recreational ranch property operated as a bare land condominium. Architectural guidelines ensured that all buildings were designed in a rustic, western style featuring log and timber structures with large front porches, wrap around decks and hitching posts. The vision was one of owners being able to enjoy the fun and excitement of a western ranch living without the headaches.” www.squarebutteranches.com/

This photo of farm buddies was taken on 28 December 2015, during the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. The area that my small group of seven people, in two cars, covered was N of Cochrane and E of Highway 22. Though the word 'Reserve' is in the name, this count was like most others, driving all the country backroads and calling in at several farms. The weather was bad, with poor light and gently falling snow pretty well all day long. Thanks so much, Stephen, for driving the four of us safely! This big dog is such a beautiful creature and I was delighted that he was still at one of the farms we called in at. He followed us around, but kept his distance from us. He keeps away from people unless he knows them. This year, they have added another large dog to their family. Their beautiful ginger cat was still around, too, and it was obvious that these two were friends. This farm, owned by Steven Tannas, is one of my favourite ones to call in at. We are always allowed to wander freely, in our search for birds, which we really appreciate. I couldn't remember if it was at this location that I photographed a gorgeous, large red barn in 2012. When I asked Steven if the barn was on his property, he said it was over on his neighbour's land. Our next stop was at this neighbour's and, sure enough, there was the barn (plus another, smaller one that I had forgotten). Steven runs Tannas Conservation Services Ltd.. One of their projects is the rough fescue (native grass) restoration project, which has been very successful over the past 7 years. Check the links below to discover all the other things that Steven's work involves: www.tannasenvironmental.com/about-us/our-history.html www.tannasenvironmental.com/ www.nativeplantproducer-esrs.com/About-Us.htm I will add our leader's report for this day's count below. Not a huge number of species, with a Pileated Woodpecker being the highlight, plus so many Snow Buntings. "The day was overcast, light snow most of day, calm, -09°C. 20 cm snow on ground. Most streams frozen over. Total Party kms by Car - 84; Total Party kms by foot – 2km. Total Party hours by Car – 3; Total Party hours by foot -2 hrs Total Party hours feeder watching – 1:40 min. Rough-legged Hawk-1 Rock Pigeon-4 Downy Woodpecker-10. Hairy Woodpecker-3 PILEATED WOODPECKER-1 Black-billed Magpie- 19 Common Raven- 18 Black-capped Chickadee- 41 Red-breasted Nuthatch- 3 White-breasted Nuthatch-1 American Tree Sparrow-7 Dark-eyed Junco-1 Snow Bunting-3550 Pine Grosbeak-25 White-winged Crossbill-15 Common Redpoll-1811 House Sparrow-106 Red Squirrel-2"

I used a special effect on my camera to take this photo of the friend with whom I went to the Rocky Mountains, on 29 August 2013. Just a spur of the moment thing, but it makes a different kind of shot, for fun. Taken at Bow Lake, along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

A friend walking in the wonderful wildflower meadows of the Small Whaleback on July 10th. The purple flowers here are Lupins - adding this after several people mentioned them. This was a long drive south of Calgary, towards the Crowsnest Pass, and just before you get to the Oldman River. This was a botanizing trip, to record all plants, insects, birds, mammals, etc. that we could find. Even a couple of Puffballs, one of which was quite spectacular : ) Later: ha ha, I did about 8,000 steps on the above hike and today I did around 10,000 steps - walking around the Stampede Grounds with my youngest daughter!! Couldn't believe my pedometer when I got home this afternoon after spending about four hours breathing in the greasy smell from the food vendors, getting neck cramps from watching people get flung on a bungee-type ride or the high swings, watching Mom pig feed her 11 little piglets, seeing the most beautiful horses from Clydesdales to Miniatures. It is quite an experience to "do" the Grounds - but I wouldn't want to do it more than one day a year! Thanks, Rachel, for a fun time! Holy smokes - just after 10:30 p.m. and we are having a torrrential rainstorm with thunder and lightning!!

I took this shot almost five years ago and posted a very cropped version almost four years ago - my, how time flies : )! We found this tiny Boreal Chorus Frog down at Frank Lake, south of the city, and a friend held it up for a quick photo. Wanted to post the barely-cropped version. www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/WildSpecies/Am...

After a delicious lunch at a friend's house today, I took a few photos of her two beloved dogs. This very relaxed little guy is Sammy!

I have longed to take a few pet photos, and I got the chance this afternoon when I went for a yummy lunch (nothing like egg sandwiches and homemade plum tart with whipped cream!!) at a friend's house with a couple of other friends. Just love these huge yellow saucers and the whiskers! Thank you, Mandy, for posing for me, however briefly!