Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: bridge

With our winter weather being comparatively mild (-10C warming up to -2C), I decided to join friends yesterday morning for a local walk. Usually, this walk goes eastwards but yesterday my group walked west. I haven't been in that direction for many years and couldn't even remember what the area looked like. Came home with practically no photos and certainly no decent shots. However, it was good to get some fresh air and much-needed (but very painful) exercise, in the company of good friends. It turned out to be a long walk, with practically no birds being seen in the first part. However, we did see a very distant Northern Goshawk juvenile down on the ground, feeding apparently on a Ring-necked Pheasant. We had seen six of these Pheasants in flight in the same area. The other highlight for me, was seeing the ice formation along the creek. I don't remember ever seeing this before, so it took me by surprise. I don't drive in the mountains in winter, so I never see any of the amazing frozen waterfalls that some people see.

Finally, there is a break in the extreme cold weather here, after maybe 10 or 12 days of temperatures that plunged as low as windchills of -43C on some of the days. This cold spell coincided with all the Christmas Bird Counts and yesterday's annual New Year's Day Count in Fish Creek Park. They have been brutally cold days, with quite a few people dropping out. Yesterday, only 8 of the 13 people who had said they were going, showed up. Today, 2 January 2018, the temperature just after noon is only -1C (windchill -3C). Of course, the birds had far more sense than the humans - the birds were hiding in sheltered places and my groups sightings were few and far between. A total of 7 species was the final total for my group for three hours of walking in the park. I suspect that at least some of the birds were up the cliff, eating at the feeders of all the houses that edge the park. Winter boots that say they work for temperatures down to -40C were struggling to keep toes warm yesterday. Our cameras stopped working, in protest of being subjected to such cold. It was a different kind of cold yesterday, maybe a damp cold. Most of our walking was through the trees, but part way when we did emerge, we found blue sky and sunshine. I love seeing the snow that has fallen along the top of the bridge railings. This is one of the maybe dozen photos my camera was able to take and one of only two or three that actually turned out. Definitely not a photographer's ideal morning, lol. After the count, everyone usually gathers at Tim Horton's, but this year, our usual Tim's was closed for some reason. The closest alternative was the nearby McDonald's. Only a few people turned up, but it was so enjoyable to sit and chat with friends over hot coffee and French fries (or some other equally unhealthy food).

I guess I will be posting a lot of "white" photos from now on, with winter well-settled. I really hope we get plenty of Chinooks, to give us short breaks from brutally cold weather. Some winters we get them, but not always. All three photos posted today were taken yesterday, 5 November 2017, when I joined a few birding friends for a walk in Carburn Park. Afternoons are usually not the best time of day to see birds so, as usual, we saw far fewer species than the morning groups - 19 species of bird. Though cold, it was a beautiful afternoon to be out in nature. It was cold enough for there to be a few clusters of small ice pillars along the edge of the Bow River - something I always enjoy seeing. There were so many Canada Geese on the river, quite densely packed. Not sure I've ever seen that many before. Carburn Park is a very popular place for birding in the city, offering water and woodland species. According to eBird, a total of 211 species have been recorded within the park. In comparison, at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary (the top Hot Spot in the city) 252 species have been recorded. In the Weaselhead Natural Area, 227 species have been seen. We were mobbed by Black-capped Chickadees who followed us along some of the trails. You can always count on seeing a Chickadee - these friendly little birds are so reliable. They are just 24 hours away from death, and need to collect enough fat in order to survive. Such busy little birds. There were about 10 of them yesterday, hanging out with several Downy Woodpeckers. Over the years, I have taken many photos of them, but I so rarely go for walks any more. From now on, I know it will be much harder to make myself put on all my winter layers, including struggling to get ice grippers on to my winter boots, and leave the comfort of my home. The main roads had been cleared, and were very reasonable to drive on yesterday. I do enjoy going for coffee and a chat after these walks. "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

On 26 November 2016, friends and I were so very lucky. On a walk in Fish Creek Park, we found not only an owl, but two owls, and different species - a Great Horned Owl and a teeny, popcan-sized Northern Pygmy-owl. It had been almost two years since I last saw a Northern Pygmy-owl. That one, also, had been seen in Fish Creek Park. On 26 November, it was near the top of a very tall tree, so my photos were fully zoomed and cropped and I posted one just for the record. The Great Horned Owl, however, was seen nice and low and out in the open. The bird was large and fairly pale, so we think it was probably a female. After taking a few photos through the trees, we continued our walk and I was able to get a few shots from a different angle, just before she closed her eyes and went to sleep. The forest was so quiet, with so few birds. This little Black-capped Chickadee gave me a chance for a couple of quick photos, as did a Red-breasted Nuthatch. I go on so few walks, and tend not to take many photos of our more common little birds. “A bird almost universally considered “cute” thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The chickadee’s black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn.” From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id "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

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. This photo was taken from this bridge, looking across to the small, wooden 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. We 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. 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 was taken yesterday morning, 10 March 2015, when I went on a birding walk with friends at Mallard Point in Fish Creek Park. Sad to see all the damage caused by the last devastating flood. This bridge over the river has been repaired and there was a short stop to check out the river for birds. It was sunny and calm during the almost three-hour walk, with a temperature of 2C to 11C. The list, compiled by leader Gus Yaki, is below - I turned back before the furthest destination, so missed some of the birds, such as the Pheasant and Northern Goshawk: 1. Canada Goose-150 2. AMERICAN WIGEON-6 3. Mallard-100 4. Bufflehead-70 5. Common Goldeneye-80 6. Common Merganser-1 m. 7. Ring-necked Pheasant-1 m. 8. Bald Eagle-2+ (1 ad/1 imm+, - 4 sightings). 9. Northern Goshawk-1 m. 10. RING-BILLED GULL? – 2 Sightings 11. Rock Pigeon-3 12. Belted Kingfisher-1 heard. 13. Downy Woodpecker-6+ 14. Hairy Woodpecker-2 15. Northern Flicker-25 16. Blue Jay-4 17. Black-billed Magpie-10 18. American Crow-1 19. Common Raven-10+ 20. Black-capped Chickadee-15 21. White-breasted Nuthatch-1 22. AMERICAN ROBIN-4 23. European Starling-30+ 24. House Finch-2+ 25. House Sparrow-20+ After the walk, I called in to see one of the owls at the east end of Fish Creek Park. Took me a little while, but, just before I was about to give up, I found her on her nest. All you can see is her head or part of it, if that.

On 3 August 2013, a group of us was lucky enough to spend the day hiking on the Nature Conservancy of Canada land at the Beynon Ecological Preserve, a long drive east of Calgary. This area is not far from Drumheller, in the Badlands of Alberta. This is one of the views from the highest point that we walked - such a beautiful landscape, especially different views that show the more eroded canyons that are typical of the Badlands. Ha, we WILL have summer this year, won't we??? "Beynon is primarily a private 500+ acre ecological preserve. Located within a deeply sculpted portion of the Rosebud River valley, the area is recognized as being regionally significant. Due to its unique topography, picturesque valley setting, and relative rarity in terms of biodiversity, Beynon protected its surrounding area by permanently protecting over 400 acres (1.6 km2) from development. This protection was achieved by way of an outright donation of land by Beynon's founding family, who still own most of the unincorporated area called Beynon. The Nature Conservancy of Canada were the recipients of the 400-acre (1.6 km2) land donation in 1999." From Wikipedia. By the way, the Beynon Canyon was featured in the cemetery scene from the 1978 film Superman: The Movie. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beynon,_Alberta

This is part of one of the main parks in the city. I was standing at the top of the cliff in North Glenmore Park, looking over the delta towards the green, metal bridge that goes from right to left into Weaselhead (the treed area that you see in this photo). This image is zoomed, so the Rocky Mountains look closer than they really are. Aren't we lucky to live in such a beautiful place? Was out in Fish Creek Park all morning - checked on the nesting Great Horned Owl, but we couldn't see any sign off little white balls of fluff yet. It was another gorgeous day - wonderful, after six months of snow and ice! As soon as I'm ready, I'm heading for the nearest backroads in search of (hopefully) a Mountain Bluebird : )

When friends, Linda and Tony, arrived in Calgary after travelling from Montreal by train, they had two or three days in Calgary before we took off for a week down to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. We spent a day at the Calgary Zoo and then spent a day - very wet! - in the Banff/Lake Louise area. Cascade Ponds is on the Lake Minnewanka loop drive, 300 m (0.2 mi) north of the Trans-Canada Highway. Taken on 9 September 2012, before the non-stop rain set in. "Cascade Ponds was created when gravel pits were transformed to a day use area, complete with wooden bridges, grassy banks, picnic tables, firepits, and cooking shelters." Cascade Mountain is just off to the right of my photo. www.summerthought.com/banff.hiking.cascade.htm

Finally, I got a chance to photograph a couple of Rock Doves (Pigeons) when I was on a walk with friends at Carburn Park on February 27th. The last few years, I've wanted to get closer, as they are beautiful birds, even if not very popular with many people. So, I was happy that two Pigeons perched on the railing of the bridge over the Bow River and I was able to capture their beauty.

Flickr friends, Ron and Trish, very kindly invited me to go with them on a wonderful drive westwards on August 1st. Their furthest destination was Takakkaw Falls, seen here. The Falls are located in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia. A breathtaking sight, with thunderous sound to go with it - sounded like a plane flying directly overhead. "Its highest point is 384m (1260 ft) from its base, making it the second-highest officially measured waterfall in western Canada, after Della Falls on Vancouver Island. However its true "free-fall" is only 254m (833 ft). "Takakkaw", loosely translated from Cree, means something like "it is magnificent". The falls are fed by the Daly Glacier which is part of the Waputik Icefield. The glacier keeps the volume of the falls up during the warm summer months, and are a tourist attraction, particularly in late spring after the heavy snow melts, when the falls are at peak condition. The Takakkaw Falls were featured in the 1995 film Last of the Dogmen." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takakkaw_Falls

I always love to see graffiti on the various bridges that I cross when out on a walk - though of course most of it is a mess and not artistic at all (I don't like that kind!)! This colourful splash on a rusty bridge railing caught my eye a few days ago, just west of the Bow Valley Ranch in Fish Creek Park.

Another photo of a splash of graffiti on the rusty railing of a small bridge over Fish Creek, just west of the Bow Valley Ranch. The park is defintely not the place you want to find graffiti, but the colours and paint drips on this bridge caught my eye. I like really well done, artistic graffiti, but not the messy scribble that is found all over the place.

Not much in the way of birds that day, just overcast sky, cold temperature, and these icicles, which were hanging on the end of the bridge at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park : )

Ice crystal formations on the railings of a wooden bridge at Beaverdam Flats on 28th November.

For some reason, I love graffiti! As in the photo below, I love the way the paint has dripped before drying. Well, you have to agree that it makes a change from a flower, owl, Chickadee, or Red Panda photo, LOL.

LOL, thought my photostream needed a little bit of bright colour. On Saturday morning, when we were looking to see what birds were around in the Burnsmead area of Fish Creek Park, I noticed these brightly coloured paint drips on the rusty bridge over the Bow River. I liked the texture and warm colours. And yes, I realize I do photograph some weird things sometimes, ha, ha.

Almost a week ago, we had such a beautiful day when all the fresh snow actually stayed on the branches. Not a breath of wind to destroy this beauty. Went for a walk with friends in Fish Creek Park and little did we know that, just a bit further, we would get the chance to see a tiny, rare to uncommon, Northern Pygmy-owl. It felt a magical day!