Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: smart

Yesterday, I slept right through an hour of very loud music and then woke up nearly five hours later (around 11:30 a.m.)! As a result, I missed a trip with friends to a great place SW of the city, Brown-Lowery Provincial Park - one that I don't like going to on my own. Knowing that there would be other people in the area, I decided to still go, but not go very far into the forest on my own. Hopefully, the others would scare any Bears and Cougars out of the forest and not in my direction! To say that I could kick myself is to put it mildly! So much for hoping that other people would scare off any bears. When I arrived at the not particularly well-known natural forest, I signed the "guest book" as I often do. Before I turned the page to sign on a nice fresh page, I happened to read a comment that someone had written - a Black Bear had been seen that day, on the very trail I wanted to go on! I put the can of Bear Spray into my fanny-pack (can't use a backpack because of the rotator cuff inflammation in both my shoulders), but after a few steps, knew it felt just too heavy. Put it back in the car and instead, attached my bear bell to my camera strap and clutched a small air-horn in one hand. I only spent about an hour in the forest, but did not enjoy a single step of it, lol! I was determined to at least go a very tiny way in, having driven all the way there. Very thankfully, there was no sign of the bear - but also no sign of any mushrooms other than one tiny cluster of Pholiotas at the base of a tree stump. Absolutely nothing, despite recent rain. Maybe it's still too early, especially after such a late spring? Saw very little on the drive home - a couple of Hawks (one on a hay bale), a few Ravens and a few Crows, one Cedar Waxwing, and several very distant ducks. No sign of any Red-winged or Yellow-headed Blackbirds and no Wilson's Snipe. The Raven in this photo was not a local one, but one that friends Cathy and Terry, and I, saw on a 2-day trip to the mountains on 14 and 15 May 2014. I took so many photos of this bird - but nearly every time I clicked the shutter, it would turn its head away. Managed to get a handful of OK shots, though. These birds are always so fascinating to watch, especially knowing that they are very smart. This one was, of course, hoping for food - which it didn't get, I should add! When I see Ravens within the city, they are usually flying overhead or perched near the top of a very tall tree. Out in the mountains, they have, unfortunately, learned to follow people and like to hang out at stopping points. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id?utm_source=Co...

I took so many photos of this Raven - but nearly every time I clicked the shutter, it would turn its head away. Managed to get a handful of shots to keep, though, and this is one of them. These birds are always so fascinating to watch, especially knowing that they are very smart. This one was, of course, looking for food - which it didn't get, I should add! When I see Ravens within the city, they are usually flying overhead or perched near the top of a very tall tree. Out in the mountains, they have, unfortunately, learned to follow people and like to hang out at stopping points., which does make it easier to take photos. Taken on 15 May 2014, during a two day trip to the Canadian Rockies with friends, Cathy and Terry. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id?utm_source=Co... Later: was out doing my volunteer shift today, so I haven't been on Flickr for much of the time. Checked My Contacts' photos just now, and there are hardly any posted. I wonder if there is Flickr problem somewhere, or if people just aren't posting much now that spring/summer is here.

I took so many photos of this Raven - but nearly every time I clicked the shutter, it would turn its head away. Managed to get a handful of OK shots, though. These birds are always so fascinating to watch, especially knowing that they are very smart. This one was, of course, looking for food - which it didn't get, I should add! When I see Ravens within the city, they are usually flying overhead or perched near the top of a very tall tree. Out in the mountains, they have, unfortunately, learned to follow people and like to hang out at stopping points. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id?utm_source=Co... My friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, sometimes by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : )

I took so many photos of this Raven - nearly every time I clicked the shutter, it would turn its head away. Managed to get a handful of OK shots, though. These birds are always so fascinating to watch, especially knowing that they are very smart. This one was, of course, looking for food - which it didn't get, I should add! When I see Ravens within the city, they are usually flying overhead or perched near the top of a very tall tree. Out in the mountains, they have, unfortunately, learned to follow people and like to hang out at stopping points. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id?utm_source=Co... My friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : ) I was so tired after the trip, that I had no choice but to fall into bed at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening, thinking that a short nap might be a good idea. I slept for something like 13 hours with a couple of hours awake in the middle. I think the excruciating pain in both arms and shoulders was a factor in my utter tiredness, too. Not good timing, to say the least. After seven or eight months of brutal winter weather, spring has finally arrived and normally I would be getting out on lots of walks and day-trips. I suspect I will have to miss many, if not most or all of these, which will be really difficult! Here in Canada, it's a long weekend, as Monday is Victoria Day. No doubt the roads and highways will be absolutely packed. Hope everyone has a safe journey to and from wherever they are going - please do drive carefully.

Yesterday, I spent a wonderful day with friends at Lake Louise, out past Banff. Near Castle Mountain, we stopped to take photos of Ravens that were hanging around a pull-off. Smart birds that they are, they have learned that people probably stop here and maybe eat a snack - and they love food! In the city, it's impossible to get a photo of a Raven, so we were really happy to get this opportunity. The weather was beautiful, around +10C, (apart from being very cold at Lake Louise), though the dazzling sunlight created very harsh shadows. I think we have passed on our recent bitter winter weather to those living in eastern Canada - sorry, everyone : ) Honest!