Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: interestingness#281

One of the highlights of a walk this morning was this tiny Northern Pygmy-owl. It is the size of a popcan and is rare to uncommon year-round in Alberta. It was perched in a tree with a million small branches (of course!), so no uncluttered photos. Three of us witnessed something that I hadn't seen before - twice when a Chickadee was heard nearby, the owl compressed its round, fluffy body and it became long and slender and nowhere near as cute. Facial details also changed completely, as can be seen in my next photo. White eyebrows appeared and even small ear-tufts. We were also very lucky to see an American Three-toed Woodpecker in the same park.

Though the sun did manage to come out later today, much of the day was cold and snowing. I was out walking all morning and I think it must have been one of the worst, if not THE worst, day underfoot that I've experienced. Snow had melted and frozen into an endless sheet of ice, and the freshly falling snow was hiding the treacherous conditions. You had to watch your step almost every inch of the path and, in the end, I cut short my walk. Not worth the risk of so easily slipping and falling! What a difference compared to my walk a few days ago in the same area - warmer, with a coating of beautiful ice crystals on everything. This little Black-capped Chickadee flew down as I crossed the small, wooden bridge at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park.

These six photos show where I spent part of the day today! Not actually on these ski slopes, known as Nakiska, but in the area at the foot of Mt. Allan. Twice a year, Golden Eagles migrate over this area and the trip today was to see if we could see any of these amazing birds flying over. They appear only as tiny black specks to the naked eye. Actually, I think I was too focussed on the scenery and didn't see any Eagles, other than a Bald Eagle.