Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: south east of Calgary

Wasn't sure whether to post this image, as it is rather blurry - don't bother to look at it in large size, LOL! However, it is yet another little moment captured in an amazing few minutes mid June. These young Red Foxes were just so beautiful!

We saw this amazing mushroom on a day walk at Nodwell Sanctuary today. This area is down south east of the city, right next to Carseland. Some kind of Ink Cap, Coprinopsis. Love the way the cap flattens, the top cracks, and the edge curls round. Never seen one like this before.

I'd never seen a Viceroy butterfly before, so was thrilled to spot this one today, when we were on a day walk at Nodwell Sanctuary (now called the Western Sky Land Trust Wheatland #1 Property), southeast of Calgary, near Carseland. It looks very much like the Monarch butterfly (which at first I thought it might be, as I didn't know about the Viceroy), but smaller, and both are relatively UNCOMMON in Alberta - this is the northern edge of their range. LOL, not quite the shot I would have liked to get, but still a record of an exciting sighting!

This was a new plant for us to see, back on 27th June, when a few of us visited the Purple Spring Sand Dunes near Taber, way down in southern Alberta. "The Small-flowered Sand-verbena has amazing adaptations that allow it to tolerate its arid environment. For example, its extremely hardy seeds can lie dormant for up to three years while waiting for favourable growing conditions. Each seed has two or three thin, papery wings that carry it on wind and water. As a result, this annual is unlikely to be found in exactly the same spot each year. This plant grows to between 20 and 50 centimetres, and has striking greenish-white flowers that tend to open in the late afternoon. As its name suggests, it favours hard-packed, fine sand on level ground, but can also be spotted on slopes and ridge tops of dunes. A species of Western North America, its range in Canada is almost entirely limited to southeastern Alberta. It has been found at only one site in Saskatchewan, just east of the Alberta border. This endangered plant requires drifting sand. Dune stabilization is therefore robbing it of its habitat. So too are alien invasive weeds and other plants, which are flourishing on dunes because the absence of fire and decreased grazing mean less unstable sand. Cultivation around existing populations of Small-flowered Sand-verbena is decreasing its ability to spread naturally." www.naturecanada.ca/parks_nwa_current_suffield_speciesatr...

I can never resist photographing a beautiful display of lichens when I see one : ) They are such beautiful growths, in their colour and their patterns. This display was found at the Nodwell Sanctuary, south east of the city. "Lichens are amazing living entities, in that they are not a single organism like plants, animals or fungi. Instead every single lichen is the result of two or more separate organisms living permanently together. All lichens are made up of a fungal partner and either/or an algal partner or a cyanobacterium partner, or both. Lichens first appeared about 400 million years ago so they have been around for a long time. Some individual species such as Hypogymnia physodes have been around for at least 25 million years and maybe for as long as 70 million years. Obviously the lichen symbiosis is a successful strategy." www.earthlife.net/lichens/intro.html

Didn't see what I had hoped to see on a quick drive south east of the city yesterday late afternoon, but I did come across this Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence post. Love to see these birds and their beautiful feather pattern. It's been a rainy morning, but hopefully the day will brighten up. ""For a short while this species was lumped with other similar birds, collectively called Common Snipe. DNA evidence showed that the populations did not interbreed, so its original name was restored. The breeding range of the Wilson's Snipe includes most of mainland Canada and the adjoining USA." talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=129 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_Snipe

This is a common early flowering, low plant with an umbel of bright yellow flowers. Seen at the Nodwell Sanctuary, south east of Calgary.

Moss Phlox (Phlox hoodii) is a native, semi-woody plant that grows on dry, eroded slopes and prairie grasslands. These tiny wildflowers, which are white to pale blue, are only 8-14 mm across, and bloom May-June. Very easy to miss them when out on a walk. This one was photographed last week at the Nodwell Sanctuary, south east of Calgary.

Another photo from last summer of one of the young Red Foxes seen outside the city. It will be interesting to see if they return to the same den(s) as last year. They are such amazingy beautiful creatures. Was out all morning, east of the city, and was happy to see my first Black-necked Stilt of the year - also Avocet, Gadwall, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and so on. We were lucky to see the rare, recently reported, Common Teal/Eurasian Green-winged Teal. It was very distant, at first swimming away from us, and then in flight. Better to have seen this distant, almost-silhouette bird, than not at all, LOL. No chance for photos this morning - all birds were much too far away. Gorgeous day, though. Crazy Calgary weather - supposed to get up to 20C today and even 23C on Tuesday (I think). Might just hop in my car again and drive a little way south west of the city before more of the afternoon slips away. I have SOOOO much I should be doing (including my Taxes), but the blue sky and sunshine are calling me ... sigh.

I'm still coming across the odd photo of these gorgeous Red Fox kits that I still haven't posted to Flickr. What beautiful animals they were. Seen south east of Calgary last summer.

This was the sky that greeted me when I dashed southeast of the city late yesterday afternoon, to drive some of the gravel backroads in search of .... anything, LOL! Oh, I did see about six Tundra Swans on a pond in someone's field, which was a treat. The dark cloud build-up didn't turn into anything at all - could have been interesting, especially when I picture the gravel ruts turning into mud ruts after heavy rain. Could barely hold my camera still, the wind was so strong. Would much rather have been back out there today. Instead, I had a traumatic experience this afternoon - I actually had to go to a shopping mall, LOL!!!! I HATE, HATE, HATE shopping and only go to the mall once a year if absolutely necessary, or every two or three years if possible : ) However, the holes in my two pairs of old jeans are getting bigger and bigger, and so I had no choice but to go searching for new ones .... sigh. I can never find what I want (of course, if I spent hours walking from store to store, I might do better, but that is not going to happen, ha, ha), so have to make do with what I can quickly find. A woman who hates shopping??? Yes, I know there are a few more of us out there, LOL. There has been a dreadful condo complex fire in the city this afternoon. Many units destroyed, but no people injured. They have also been searching for people's beloved pets, and have taken them to an animal centre to be claimed. My condolences to all those who lost everything - a very difficult thing to have to deal with - but of course I am relieved that everyone survived.

Back to the little Red Fox kits that I photographed mid June last year, south east of the city. I'm still finding the odd image that is fit to be posted, despite the lack of clarity, especially along the lower edge.

A photo from my archives (15th June last year) - a pair of Northern Shovelers seen in the area south east of Calgary, near where the Red Foxes had their den. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=37

All three of my photos today happen to be from my archives. Not intentionally done : ) This young Red Fox was one of several that I saw and photographed early to mid June this year, south east of the city. Most of my photos came out blurred, especially the lower part of each image. Not sure why, as I thought I made sure I was well cleared of the lowered car window. I managed to rescue several images and this is another one that I hadn't posted earlier. They are such beautiful creatures - just love that little face.

Another brief glimpse into the world of a young Red Fox, seen on 12th June, south east of the city. Apparently, this fox family has now moved to a new location. "The Red Fox is one of the most widely distributed mammals in the world .... In Alberta, they occur throughout the province." Talkaboutwildlife website.

...but oh, so adorable : ) I'm still picking out the odd image I took of these Red Fox kits that day. Most of my photos came out far too blurry, for some strange reason, but I'm still finding the odd one or two that are just about fit to be posted. I wonder how these little guys are doing now. Maybe they have already dispersed?

I haven't quite run out of photos of the little Red Fox kits, southeast of Calgary. So many of the photos I took came out horribly blurry, but thought I'd share the ones that came out OK. Love the white tip of his/her tail, and the black markings on those little legs.

Not the best angle, but it was sharper than the other handful of photos. I did remove (i.e. on the computer) a length of barbed-wire that ran across the image between the bird and its reflections. Very elegant shore birds : )