Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Harvey Heights

A view of the mountains taken in Canmore two days ago, when a few of us took part in the annual Banff/Canmore Christmas Bird Count. The town of Canmore is surrounded by mountain peaks. The early morning sunrise cast a beautiful pink glow, which I'm not usually up in time to see in the mornings. (Location on map is only very approximate, just in case anyone is curious as to where Harvey Heights is). My small group covered the Harvey Heights area. The meeting place for the various groups was at the home of Colleen Campbell, who so generously opens up her home to us each year, including giving us a lovely warm place to go back to, to eat our lunches and to finalize the lists of birds seen by the end of the day. Colleen is a long-time Wildlife Researcher, who focused exclusively on grizzly bears from 1993 until 2006. She is also known for her incredibly beautiful artwork - photography is another of her keen interests. Recently, she took in two adorable little rescue kittens - they were so soft and gentle! There was room in my backback to have put both kittens in to take home with me - but I thought Colleen might notice that they were missing : ) Colleen, thank you so much from us all, for your generosity and welcome - and that includes the welcome that Jesse always gives everyone. What a sweet, intelligent dog she is! This annual Banff-Canmore Christmas Bird Count (CBC) organized by the Bow Valley Naturalists took place on Saturday, December 17. This was the 37th consecutive year for this event. And now, after two long days of walking, I need to hobble my way to various places to get some urgent errands done! I am so behind with everything - maybe next year I will be more organized. Funny, I seem to say the same thing year after year, though. Arghh .... Hold the Clicks, Flickr has Hiccups (2:15 p.m.)! OK, got to get ready to go out NOW!

A blurry shot, unfortunately, of one of about eight beautiful Elk that were grazing near the main highway at Harvey Heights, Canmore, Banff National Park. Seen early in the morning in poor light when we were driving to our area for the Banff/Canmore Bird Count on December 17th. I don't usually see Elk, so wanted to add this photo to my Wild Animals of Alberta set. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk

Clark’s Nutcrackers live in the mountainous areas of the Western United States and Canada, so I only see these when out in the mountains, including Harvey Heights, Canmore (near Banff). Taken on the annual Banff/Canmore Christmas Bird Count on December 17th. Really bad light that day, and this is one of the only photos that came out well enough to post. Not to be confused with the Gray Jay, with similar colouring but a much shorter bill. "•The Clark's Nutcracker has a special pouch under its tongue that it uses to carry seeds long distances. The nutcracker harvests seeds from pine trees and takes them away to hide them for later use. •The Clark's Nutcracker hides thousands and thousands of seeds each year. Laboratory studies have shown that the bird has a tremendous memory and can remember where to find most of the seeds it hides. •The Clark's Nutcracker is one of very few members of the crow family where the male incubates the eggs. In jays and crows, taking care of the eggs is for the female only. But the male nutcracker actually develops a brood patch on its chest just like the female, and takes his turn keeping the eggs warm while the female goes off to get seeds out of her caches." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Nutcracker/lifehistory/ac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark's_Nutcracker

I never fail to be in complete awe of our massive, spectacular Rocky Mountains! This is just a tiny section of the mountain peaks at Harvey Heights, near Canmore (which is near Banff).

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of the Pine Marten in someone's garden.

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of the Pine Grosbeaks in someone's garden.

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of the Pine Marten in someone's garden.

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clark's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo shows one of the Clark's Nutcrackers.

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of one of the birds sitting on the hood! Note the feathers on the beak.

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of one of the birds sitting on the hood!

I like the way this Raven perched on top of a snow bank overlooking frozen Bow Lake, near Bow Summit, in the Rocky Mountains. You can't really tell the background scenery from this photo - no depth of focus, but those are mountains in the distance, the far side of Bow Lake.

The male Pine Grosbeaks are so beautiful - who needs a Cardinal, LOL? The little bird behind the Grosbeak is a Pine Siskin.

When we were at Bow Summit, Rocky Mountains, yesterday, we had a couple of Common Ravens fly down to the hood of my friend's car when we stopped. They then proceeded to try and "fly" on to the driver's side mirror, perched with a little difficulty, and happily ate some of my sandwich. Ravens are considered to be smart birds.

A bright red male Pine Grosbeak with a female (yellow head) and young males (on left) at this bird feeder in Harvey Heights, near Canmore, Rocky Mountains.

When we were at Bow Summit, Rocky Mountains, yesterday, we had a couple of Common Ravens fly down to the hood of my friend's car when we stopped. They then proceeded to try and "fly" on to the driver's side mirror, perched with a little difficulty, and happily ate some of my sandwich. You can see the nictitating membrane covering the eye temporarily, to keep it moist.

Saw this young male Pine Grosbeak in a garden at Harvey Heights near Canmore (near Banff), Alberta.

Another photo of a Pine Grosbeak (red) and a tiny Pine Siskin, seen at Harvey Heights, near Canmore (near Banff), Alberta.