Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Dandelion

Common, yes, but I never tire of their bright colour and perfection. There have been so many Dandelions everywhere recently. Couldn't resist photographing this one when I was on a day trip west of Calgary, on 7 June 2017. On that day, a group of eight of us spent a wonderful day exploring Elbow Falls and Forgetmenot Pond, in Kananaskis. We drove west of the city into the eastern edge of the mountains, stopping at three different places, including a stop along the edge of the main highway, where we found beautiful Shooting stars and a few little brown cup fungi. Forgetmenot Pond is actually a man-made pond, left over from the excavation of a gravel pit. The water is crystal clear. It's just a short walk around the pond, but enjoyable to do. The main road this far into Kananaskis only opens in June each year, as a winter gate at Elbow Falls closes in December for the winter months, to protect the wildlife in the area. I found the following 4-minute video on YouTube, taken by Kenneth Lori using a DJI Phantom 3 Professional quadcopter and taken on 16 June 2016. It travels over Forgetmenot Pond and the surrounding river and mountains. youtu.be/fEamf0nDXt4 What a great day we had! It was one beautiful find after another, and I think we all must have arrived back home at the end of the day, feeling happy and content. Dorothy and Stephen, as always, you planned a wonderful day for us and you even managed to arrange with the weatherman for beautiful sunshine and warmth, with an occasional welcome slight breeze. I still can't believe how lucky we were, seeing so many interesting things. In fact, I'm finding it difficult to decide what was the highlight for me. The Harlequin Duck, the distant Common Nighthawk flying high overhead, the two Morel mushrooms, the small cluster of beautiful brown jelly cup fungi?? And so on .... Great to spend a day with such a pleasant group of keen, interested people. Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, for such a great day - my favourite kind of day : ) Thank you, also, for the ride and for the donuts you brought along for everyone to enjoy. Nice to end our day with a stop at the Cinnamon Spoon cafe in Bragg Creek, for a very welcome coffee.

Think I've found the ID! I believe this is a Mustard White butterfly / Pieris oleracea. Last night, I tried to find the ID for this plain white butterfly, but no luck. I couldn't remember if it is simply a spot-less Cabbage White or something different. Seen in Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. "The Mustard White is found though out the boreal region of Canada. It is found in both deciduous and coniferous forest. There are two generations per year in Alberta, the first is out in mid-May and the second in July. The dark under wing veins may be reduced (ie pale) or absent in the second summer generation. (Bird et al, 1995 & Acorn, 1993)." From Insects of Alberta. www.insectsofalberta.com/mustardwhite.htm It was the annual May Species Count on 28 and 29 May 2016. My group's Saturday Count was down in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Votier's Flats and Shaw's Meadow. On Sunday, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. We had a great day, stopping at a few wetlands and calling in at Barb Castell's acreage where she usually has amazing birds to show us. Several special species were missing, but we were delighted to watch a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We stopped at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park and ate our picnic lunches and then did a short walk to look for Calypso Orchids. I took too long to try and get a sharp photo of a group of fungi that I missed the orchids, but that was OK, as I have seen them plenty of times before. After the Count came to an end, I drove a few of the back roads again, taking a few more shots of the Wilson's Snipe. I will add the final list from our leader, Gus Y - 70 bird species seen, wow! "The count goes May 28-29: Calgary birders have been out in force every May since 1979, contributing to a broad census of the constantly changing patterns of bird distributions in North America. Last year (2015) we found 212 species. The count circle is the same as previous years, extending from Olds to Nanton, and from Exshaw to Standard, and includes a variety of environments." From NatureCalgary. "May species count, Terr. #22, Priddis Area: Plummers Rd, from Hwy 22 to #762, SW of Calgary, 0730-1530, Sun. 29May2016. 58 km. Mostly sunny, becoming overcast at noon, S wind, becoming gusty, 10 -20 kph. 13-18°C. Canada Goose-45 Gadwall-2 American Wigeon-6 Mallard-29. Blue-winged Teal-16 Cinnamon Teal-8 Northern Shoveler-3 Green-winged Teal-4 Redhead-6 Ring-necked Duck-12 Lesser Scaup-29 Bufflehead-5 Hooded Merganser-1 f. Ruddy Duck-11 Ring-necked Pheasant-3 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson’s Hawk-2 Red-tailed Hawk-6 American Kestrel-2 Sora-6 American Coot-10 Killdeer-5 Spotted Sandpiper-8 Wilson’s Snipe-10 Wilson’s Phalarope-4 Black Tern-22 Mourning Dove-1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird-1 Red-naped Sapsucker-1 Black-backed Woodpecker-2 Northern Flicker-3 Western Wood-Pewee-5 Least Flycatcher-6 Easterm Phoebe-1 Easterm Kingbird-1 Gray Jay-2 Clark’s Nutcracker-1 Black-billed Magpie-6 American Crow-4 Common Raven-5 Tree Swallow-86 Cliff Swallow-6 Barn Swallow-2 Black-capped Chickadee-3 Mountain Chickadee-1 Boreal Chickadee-2 Red-breasted Nuthatch-2 House Wren-9 Mountain Bluebird-29 American Robin-13 Gray Catbird-2 European Starling-8 Tennessee Warbler-11 Yellow Warbler-6 Cape May Warbler-1 Chipping Sparrow-8 Clay-coloured Sparrow-13 Savannah Sparrow-4 Song Sparrow-1 Lincoln’s Sparrow-4 White-throated Sparrow-1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak-7 Black-headed Grosbeak-1, or hybrid. Red-winged Blackbird-178 Western Meadowlark-2 Yellow-headed Blackbird-2 Brewer’s Blackbird-7 Brown-headed Cowbird-6 Baltimore Oriole-4 American Goldfinch-5 Richardson’s Ground Squirrel-11 Muskrat-1 Mule Deer-1 White-tailed Deer-4 Boreal Chorus Frog-10+ Green Comma Butterfly-2 Western White-1 Tiger Swallowtail-2 Gus Yaki"

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 25 June 2016, when I drove SW of the city to possibly meet friends. No one was sure how bad the weather was going to be, as the forecast was for rain and thunderstorms. It had rained overnight, so everywhere was soaking wet. Normally, on a day like that, I stay home, but I'm really glad I did go, especially as I was able to find a Bobolink again. Or, perhaps I should say it found me. Three times now, when I have been photographing a particular pair of Mountain Bluebirds, I have heard a certain call, turned around, and there was a Bobolink sitting on a fence post across the road. It just kept up this call until I stopped what I was doing, crossed the road, and started taking photos of him, as if to say: "Hey, take my photo, too!" I didn't think any friends were going to turn up, as I hadn't seen anything that looked like a small convoy of cars. Then suddenly, one single car came around a distant corner and stopped. Three people got out - Andrew, Tony and Howard. Three people who are excellent birders and who didn't let the weather keep them from doing what they love. I followed them slowly as far as Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, where the day's walk was supposed to take part, stopping to look at various birds along the way, Once there, we parted ways, as I didn't want hours of walking in mud and dripping trees. Instead, I wandered for a few minutes near the parking lot, where I took my next two photos and then I returned to the Bluebirds, where the Bobolink reappeared and repeated his behavior, giving me another chance for photos. And now I have to dash, as I overslept almost an hour, and I have to pick up a friend and then do a long drive NW of the city, where we will be meeting others for a walk, followed by a BBQ. Ths annual event is always very enjoyable - just hope the forecast rain and thunderstorms stay away! Will have to finish off my tags this evening. Gotta run! "Perched on a grass stem or displaying in flight over a field, breeding male Bobolinks are striking. No other North American bird has a white back and black underparts (some have described this look as wearing a tuxedo backwards). Added to this are the male’s rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bubbling, virtuosic song. As summer ends he molts into a buff and brown female-like plumage. Though they’re still fairly common in grasslands, Bobolink numbers are declining." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bobolink/id "The Bobolink inhabits Canada's grassland and agricultural areas from the interior of British Columbia to the east coast. Relative to 1970 levels, this species has shown a large decrease across most of its range, with the exception of the Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region where populations have changed little. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed the Bobolink as Threatened in 2010 (COSEWIC 2010d). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada." www.ec.gc.ca/soc-sbc/oiseau-bird-eng.aspx?sY=2014&sL=...

It was the annual May Species Count this past weekend, on 28 and 29 May 2016, so I had no time for anything else over the weekend. My group's Saturday Count was down in Fish Creek Provincial Park, at Votier's Flats and Shaw's Meadow. On Sunday, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. We had a great day, stopping at a few wetlands and calling in at Barb Castell's acreage where she usually has amazing birds to show us. Several special species were missing, but we were delighted to watch a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We were also happy to see seven Rose-breasted Grosbeaks during the day, and a male American Kestrel that caught a frog for supper! No owls to be found anywhere, but I did go back the following evening and saw two separate Great Gray Owls in our Count area. I went back again yesterday and found the first owl again. This time, it wasn't pouring with rain, but I was looking into the sun (so a lot of blown-out feathers) and it was very windy. The owl photo I've posted this morning was one of the first half dozen photos taken, before the owl flew a few fence posts away, and then I was looking into the sun. It was nice to see the owl hunting, catch a small rodent and then fly to a fence post - wish the lighting had been so much better. Before early 2016, the most 'recent' Great Grays that I had seen and photographed was one that was a rare visitor to the city - found in Fish Creek Park for a while and my last photos of it were taken on 18 February 2014. There was also a Great Gray at Griffith Woods, Calgary, and some of my photos were taken on 10 February 2014. Saw another owl on our May Species Count SW of the city on 25 May 2014. Many of my 'best' sightings and photos of Great Grays were taken NW of Calgary, the last dates being 28 March 2013 and 5 May 2013. So, after 25 May 2014 .... nothing until early 2016, and then three evenings ago!!! "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl

Today, 25 May 2016, my birthday started off with my computer installing Windows 10 to replace my Windows 7! This happened while I was away from my computer, having a very late supper last night. No idea how it was able to do THAT without my permission! (Later: I now see that this is an automatic update, free until 29 July 2016). I eventually managed to restore my computer to how it was with Windows 7. Talk about panic! Once that was done, I immediately got yet another Blue Screen of Death! I stayed up all night, finally getting to bed about 7:00 this morning (for three hours' sleep), backing up the last few months' worth of photos (many thousands) and various odds and ends to an external drive. I was so hoping I wouldn't wake up to find Windows 10 installed again.. I wanted to find out a few things before even thinking about Windows 10, such as will all one's e-mails be saved if one changes to Windows 10? Also, do My Pictures photo folders remain the same?? I have visions of all my photos disappearing : ( So much for getting out for the day on my birthday day, lol! However, I did have a lovely day out on 22nd May, with my daughter, so I'm very lucky. Today, 25 May 2016, my birthday started off with my computer installing Windows 10 to replace my Windows 7! This happened while I was away from my computer, having a very late supper last night. No idea how it was able to do THAT without my permission! (Later: I now see that this is an automatic update, free until 29 July 2016). I eventually managed to restore my computer to how it was with Windows 7. Talk about panic! Once that was done, I immediately got yet another Blue Screen of Death! I stayed up all night, finally getting to bed about 7:00 this morning (for three hours' sleep), backing up the last few months' worth of photos (many thousands) and various odds and ends to an external drive. I was so hoping I wouldn't wake up to find Windows 10 installed again.. I wanted to find out a few things before even thinking about Windows 10, such as will all one's e-mails be saved if one changes to Windows 10? Also, do My Pictures photo folders remain the same?? I have visions of all my photos disappearing : ( So much for getting out for the day on my birthday day, lol! However, I did have a lovely day out on 22nd May, with my daughter, so I'm very lucky. In connection with this, Flickr member, Brent Michael, added a very helpful comment under my next image (old church with fenceline). I will post his words here, in case anyone else had the same concerns as myself: "Just happened to me yesterday as well. I had stopped 10 from updating a couple times before, but I let it go this time. Everything was still there once the update was complete. All my pictures, Lightroom, etc. My browser still had all my bookmarks, my documents were all there. and yes, all my emails were still there as well. All my folders in Lightroom and Windows were just as they were before. Windows 10 works differently so like with all software updates you have to relearn how to do certain things, which isn't as easy as it was 30 years ago! But I am still unhappy that Windows did this on its own without my permission as well. That's not cool! Good luck with yours!" Thanks so much, Brent - all good info to know. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE on the FLIPLIFE website that I discovered recently was displaying thousands of our 'stolen' images (mine are all copyright protected, too) and displaying them for free download (including original size) to anyone who wanted them. Something made me check Google again last night and I was unable to go directly to their website. It now works through an itunes app, which you have to download. As a comment on the Help Forum says: "The video on the Fliplife for apps site is soooo nice, laying out all the thousands of..... stolen photos." Flickr staff are looking into this, again - thanks for the very quick response and action! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, 24 May 2016, when I went for just a short drive SW of the city. After a couple of days of rain, the sun came out and I reckoned I had better make the most of it. On the way, I called in at a wetland in SW Calgary and was glad to see the Red-necked Grebe. Just drove my usual back roads, seeing some of the usual birds - Mountain Bluebirds, Wilson's Snipe, Red-winged Blackbirds.

Took this photo at the Saskatoon Farm, SE of Calgary, on 24 May 2014, when my youngest daughter treated me to a delicious lunch there for my birthday. At the moment, Dandelions are blooming everywhere, turning the ground into a beautiful carpet of gold. They look so cheery after our long, harsh winter, though of course they won't be as pretty once they have all turned to seed : ) "The dandelion plant is a beneficial weed, with a wide range of uses, and is even a good companion plant for gardening. Its taproot will bring up nutrients for shallower-rooting plants, and add minerals and nitrogen to soil. It is also known to attract pollinating insects and release ethylene gas which helps fruit to ripen." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum www.saskatoonfarm.com/

A beautiful, iridescent Tree Swallow perched near a field of Dandelions : ) Seen on our May Species Count, south of the city, two days ago. It's nesting box was close by, maybe two or three feet away on a fence post. Tree Swallows are our most common swallows in the summer, common from mid-April to August.

I don't have the exact name or the scientific name (yet) for this different species of Dandelion that was found on the high-elevation Plateau Mt. Ecological Reserve, in Kananaskis, on 6 July 2012. It was growing very close to the ground and looked different from the much more common weed that so many people complain about in the city - I love them, so I never complain : )

Took a short drive SW of Calgary a couple of days ago, just to get out, but without doing a long drive. I was hoping that I might just come across a Great Gray Owl - gosh, those birds are addictive, lol! No owls, though, but I did come across a pair of fairly cooperative Mountain Bluebirds, which is always a treat, and a pair of very uncooperative American Goldfinches : ) The Goldfinches flew a couple of times to near where the Bluebirds had their nest and I just managed to get this very quick, distant shot of the male. I love it when the fields are full of Dandelions! They make such a pretty backdrop for this colourful bird and also for the bright blue Bluebirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Goldfinch

I'm sure most people have taken at least one photo of a Dandelion seedhead, lol. This one was taken down near Forgetmenot Pond on July 1st. "Dandelions get provincial reprieve. CBC News Posted: May 24, 2011 12:33 PM MT Last Updated: May 24, 2011 5:07 PM MT. Calgarians who strive for a perfectly green lawn are losing a weapon in their never-ending battle against dandelions. A recently passed overhaul of the province's Weed Control Act saw the much detested yellow flowering plant removed from the list of noxious weeds. That means municipal bylaw officers will no longer be able to fine homeowners who let dandelions overtake their yards. Officials in Calgary have more serious weed problems to tackle than dandelions anyway, according to Simon Wilkins, the city's pest management co-ordinator. "Not to discount people's interest in regular garden weeds but it's important to have a broader view and put everything in its context," said Wilkins. Wilkins said most of his department's resources are spent battling highly noxious invasive weeds. .... Chris Neeser a weed specialist for Alberta Agriculture acknowledged that the dandelion is still a nuisance for grain farmers. But he said the ubiquitous weed is simply part of the Alberta landscape." "While the dandelion is considered a weed by many gardeners, the plant does have several culinary and medicinal uses. The plant can be eaten cooked or raw and is used in soups or salads. Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a slightly bitter taste. Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine. The leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, containing more iron than spinach. Ground roasted dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute. It is believed to stimulate digestive functions. Sold in most health food stores for a variety of health benefits." From usagardener.com/disease_pests_and_weeds/weeds_and_weeding... . You either love 'em or hate 'em - I love 'em, so bright and cheery!

Ha, I just had to photograph this Dandelion stem that had curled so beautifully into three coils. I would imagine that the flower head had been chewed off by some wild animal on Keith Logan's land, about 2 miles south of Water Valley. Can't say I've ever noticed this happen before. Photographed on June 17th. Have to go on a three-hour walk this morning and then have my volunteer shift this afternoon, so I'm posting really early today.

On a recent drive along some of the gravel backroads south east of the city, I passed someone's acreage and the ground was a carpet of brilliant yellow Dandelions. People seem to either like or dislike these glorious flowers - guess I'm one of those who find them beautiful : ) "Taraxacum officinale is considered a weedy species, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. As a nearly cosmopolitan weed, Dandelion is best known for its yellow flower heads, that turn into round balls of silver tufted fruits, that blow away on the wind." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale "The name dandelion comes from the French, dents de lion, which means “teeth of the lion,” and refers to the jagged edges on the leaves of the dandelion plant." plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/common-dandelion

It's kind of fun to see if you can find a Red-seeded Dandelion instead of a "regular" one, when you are out on a walk. I seem to remember that they are slightly smaller seedheads. This kind of Dandelion has deeply-lobed leaves with lobes of equal size and stems less than 30 cm tall.

This was just one small view seen yesterday, when four of us explored (i.e bird and botanize) someone's private property in Millarville. Some areas were meadows of Dandelions, others had native plants in good supply, and some places had been taken over by non-native species, such as Brome Grass. A very beautiful and interesting 20 (?) acres! Thank you, Marilyn, for this privilege!

The gorgeous colours and patterns of this leaf caught my eye on Thursday morning. This is just the tip of the leaf in this image. I'm pretty sure it is a Dandelion leaf. The Dandelion was introduced from Europe. Young Dandelion leaves can be used in a salad and the roasted root can be used as a substitute for coffee. The name dandelion is derived from the Old French, dent-de-lion, which is literally "lion's tooth", referring to the sharply-lobed leaves of the plant.

Can't remember if this is an ordinary Dandelion or a False Dandelion. Common, yes, but I never tire of their bright colour.

I always find the remains of a Dandelion fascinating!

Amazing the pattern deep inside a Dandelion when you actually stop to have a close look! Reminds me of a golf ball!