Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Emberizidae

I rarely see Dark-eyed Juncos and get photos, but this little Dark-eyed Junco sat for a short while. Probably the best chance I've ever had, to photograph a Junco. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-eyed_junco www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/id Sunday, 25 May 2014, was the annual May Species Count, and it went really well. There were seven people in my group and we travelled in two vehicles, covering a large area SW of Calgary and W of Priddis. The Count lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the weather was mostly clear but clouded up by noon, with a short shower while we were having lunch at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Heavy clouds for the rest of the day, calm, 9-18°C, with 88km travelled by car. 69 bird species were found, plus 15 White-tailed Deer and two Moose. Most species were seen from far away, but I did manage to get just a few photos of several of the species. A good day : ) Thanks for driving Rob and myself, Phil! Much appreciated! Each year on this Count, a highlight is calling in to see the much sought-after Evening Grosbeaks at Barb Castell's acreage. They didn't let us down, and even gave us some chances to get a few photos. Feeder photos are not my favourite, but we were also able to catch them in the trees, too. After the Count ended, it was pointed out that we could return to the city by one of two different routes. If we had chosen the other route, we would have missed the other highlight of the day - a Great Gray Owl! It didn't stay around for more than a few minutes, as it was busy hunting, but we did manage to get a handful of shots. We also saw a Ring-necked Pheasant in a field, just within camera range. I will add the list (compiled by the Count leader, Gus Yaki), of the 69 bird species seen, for my own memory. It probably won't be of much interest to most of you : ) I should add that I didn't see every single one of these species. Canada Goose-60 ad/30 juv. Gadwall-3 Mallard-19 Blue-winged Teal-16 Cinnamon Teal-2 Northern Shoveler-10 Green-winged Teal-6 Redhead-2 Ring-necked Duck-9 Lesser Scaup-19 Bufflehead-10 Barrow's Goldeneye-2 Ruddy Duck-10 Ring-necked Pheasant-1 heard. Common Loon-1 Pied-billed Grebe-1 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson's Hawk-1 Red-tailed Hawk-7 Sora-5 American Coot-6 Killdeer-3 Spotted Sandpiper-3 Wilson's Snipe-10 Wilson's Phalarope-5 Black Tern-22 Mourning Dove-1 Great Gray Owl-2 Red-naped Sapsucker-1 Downy Woodpecker-1 Northern Flicker-1 Western Wood-Pewee-2 Least Flycatcher-7 Eastern Phoebe-1 Eastern Kingbird-4 Warbling Vireo-1 Blue Jay-7 Black-billed Magpie-8 American Crow-7 Common Raven-6 Tree Swallow-213 Barn Swallow-4 Black-capped Chickadee-12 Mountain Chickadee-5 Boreal Chickadee-2 White-breasted Nuthatch-1 House Wren-7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet-5 Mountain Bluebird-24 American Robin-12 Gray Catbird-2 European Starling-7 Tennessee Warbler-6 Yellow Warbler-3 Northern Waterthrush-1 Chipping Sparrow-9 Clay-colored Sparrow-26 Savannah Sparrow-3 Song Sparrow-2 Dark-eyed Junco-3 Red-winged Blackbird-164 Brewer's Blackbird-11 Common Grackle-8 Brown-headed Cowbird-9 Baltimore Oriole-1 Purple Finch-2 American Goldfinch-1 Evening Grosbeak-15 House Sparrow-4 Red Squirrel-4 Richardson's Ground Squirrel-1 Columbian Ground Squirrel-1 Meadow Vole-1 White-tailed Deer-15 Moose-2

This little Lark Sparrow was so far away, but I wanted to post this 48x zoomed and cropped image to my Birds of Alberta 9 album, as I had never seen a Lark Sparrow before. This was one of two new bird species that I was lucky enough to see yesterday, on a long day trip with friends to Dinosaur Provincial Park. I had only ever once been there before, that I can remember, and it must have been 30+ years ago, so yesterday's bus trip was an absolute treat. 46 people went on this annual outing and when we arrived, we split into two groups. One half went on a mini bus tour in the morning to an area of the park that is kept closed to people in order to protect the landscape. The other half took this tour in the afternoon. The rest of the day, we could go on a walk along one of the trails in the park that are open to the public. I was in the group that walked in the morning. We went on the Cottonwoods Trail, that eventually led to the river - a long walk that was much further than I expected! We saw very few birds, the main one being a Yellow Warbler that had its beak full of soft, white "down" from a Cottonwood tree. When we were almost back at the starting point, a Nighthawk was spotted lying on a very high branch. Well done, Shirley, for spotting this bird (and the Lark Sparrow) that was very difficult to see! A real thrill for me, as I had always wanted to see a perched Nighthawk! I saw three of them flying over the Bow River and over our heads in Bow Valley Provincial Park just a few years ago, but no chance for a photo. While back at the parking lot, we had a few minutes to "explore" and I was so happy to spot this little Scarlet Mallow plant just a few feet away. We had great weather, which was very lucky, as we had had rain for quite a few days before. When wet, the Bentonite clay becomes treacherously slippery, so we did not have to experience that, though in a few places we could feel our feet slipping. Our mini bus tour in one of the Park's buses in the afternoon took us through some spectacular scenery. Will be posting a few different views in the next little while. I got back home around 6:30 p.m., barely able to move an inch, but it was definitely worth it. Thanks so much, Lynn, for organizing such an enjoyable trip to this fascinating area! A lot of work goes into organizing an event like this and it was much appreciated! Thanks, too, to friends Val and Wendy who took turns to sit with me for the long 2 1/2 hour journey out there and back! Great to catch up with both of you! "A courting male Lark Sparrow crouches on the ground, holds his tail up at a 45 degree angle from the ground, spreads the tail feathers to show off the white tips, and then struts with its wings drooping so that the wingtips nearly touch the ground. When the female is receptive, the male gives her a small twig just before copulation." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lark_sparrow/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lark_sparrow

"Just" a common little Savannah Sparrow, taken SW of the city, on 7 June 2014. It posed so nicely for a brief moment. Love to see their bright yellow "eyebrows". "Not all streaky brown birds are impossible to identify. Take a closer look at this one and you’ll see an understated but distinctive sparrow with a short tail, small head, and telltale yellow spot before the eye. Savannah Sparrows are one of the most numerous songbirds in North America, and while sometimes overlooked, are likely visitors across the continent. In summer, they don’t hesitate to advertise their location, belting out a loud, insect-like song from farm fields and grasslands." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/savannah_sparrow/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_sparrow

I rarely see Dark-eyed Juncos and get photos, but this little Dark-eyed Junco sat for a short while. Probably the best chance I've ever had, to photograph a Junco, though unfortunately this cropped shot looks far too grainy on my screen (24"). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-eyed_junco www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/id Sunday, 25 May 2014, was the annual May Species Count, and it went really well. There were seven people in my group and we travelled in two vehicles, covering a large area SW of Calgary and W of Priddis. The Count lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the weather was mostly clear but clouded up by noon, with a short shower while we were having lunch at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Heavy clouds for the rest of the day, calm, 9-18°C, with 88km travelled by car. 69 bird species were found, plus 15 White-tailed Deer and two Moose. Most species were seen from far away, but I did manage to get just a few photos of several of the species. A good day : ) Thanks for driving Rob and myself, Phil! Much appreciated! Each year on this Count, a highlight is calling in to see the much sought-after Evening Grosbeaks at Barb Castell's acreage. They didn't let us down, and even gave us some chances to get a few photos. Feeder photos are not my favourite, but we were also able to catch them in the trees, too. After the Count ended, it was pointed out that we could return to the city by one of two different routes. If we had chosen the other route, we would have missed the other highlight of the day - a Great Gray Owl! It didn't stay around for more than a few minutes, as it was busy hunting, but we did manage to get a handful of shots. We also saw a Ring-necked Pheasant in a field, just within camera range. I will add the list (compiled by the Count leader, Gus Yaki), of the 69 bird species seen, for my own memory. It probably won't be of much interest to most of you : ) I should add that I didn't see every single one of these species. Canada Goose-60 ad/30 juv. Gadwall-3 Mallard-19 Blue-winged Teal-16 Cinnamon Teal-2 Northern Shoveler-10 Green-winged Teal-6 Redhead-2 Ring-necked Duck-9 Lesser Scaup-19 Bufflehead-10 Barrow's Goldeneye-2 Ruddy Duck-10 Ring-necked Pheasant-1 heard. Common Loon-1 Pied-billed Grebe-1 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson's Hawk-1 Red-tailed Hawk-7 Sora-5 American Coot-6 Killdeer-3 Spotted Sandpiper-3 Wilson's Snipe-10 Wilson's Phalarope-5 Black Tern-22 Mourning Dove-1 Great Gray Owl-2 Red-naped Sapsucker-1 Downy Woodpecker-1 Northern Flicker-1 Western Wood-Pewee-2 Least Flycatcher-7 Eastern Phoebe-1 Eastern Kingbird-4 Warbling Vireo-1 Blue Jay-7 Black-billed Magpie-8 American Crow-7 Common Raven-6 Tree Swallow-213 Barn Swallow-4 Black-capped Chickadee-12 Mountain Chickadee-5 Boreal Chickadee-2 White-breasted Nuthatch-1 House Wren-7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet-5 Mountain Bluebird-24 American Robin-12 Gray Catbird-2 European Starling-7 Tennessee Warbler-6 Yellow Warbler-3 Northern Waterthrush-1 Chipping Sparrow-9 Clay-colored Sparrow-26 Savannah Sparrow-3 Song Sparrow-2 Dark-eyed Junco-3 Red-winged Blackbird-164 Brewer's Blackbird-11 Common Grackle-8 Brown-headed Cowbird-9 Baltimore Oriole-1 Purple Finch-2 American Goldfinch-1 Evening Grosbeak-15 House Sparrow-4 Red Squirrel-4 Richardson's Ground Squirrel-1 Columbian Ground Squirrel-1 Meadow Vole-1 White-tailed Deer-15 Moose-2

This little Sparrow was singing away in the garden at Lake Louise on 30 August 2013. We happened to arrive at the lake just before it decided to rain. Can't complain, though, as the weather was so enjoyable for a good part of the day. Driving west from Calgary, we soon saw that the mountains (eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains) were looking rather hazy. Before too long, we found ourselves driving through very low, thick cloud and the mountains, there one moment, had partly disappeared the next. This went on for a long time and I began to wonder if we would even be able to see the beautiful mountains the further west we went. Eventually, the clouds lifted and the sun shone. Later in the day, the grey clouds started drifting in and we did get some rain, but we had already seen the "best" things. We were able to go inside the Chateau Lake Louise and wander around while the worst of the rain fell. It did clear, giving me a chance to take photos looking out over Lake Louise. Our furthest destination was Peyto Lake (and just a little further). It had been 30+ years since I had seen Peyto Lake so, needless to say, I was just thrilled to bits to get a chance to go there, thanks to good friend, Sandy! "White-crowned Sparrows appear each winter over much of North America to grace our gardens and favorite trails (they live in parts of the West year-round). The smart black-and-white head, pale beak, and crisp gray breast combine for a dashing look – and make it one of the surest sparrow identifications in North America. Watch for flocks of these sparrows scurrying through brushy borders and overgrown fields, or coax them into the open with backyard feeders. As spring approaches, listen out for this bird’s thin, sweet whistle." From AllAboutBirds. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-crowned_sparrow/id

I was SO lucky to be on a walk in South Glenmore Park yesterday morning and so was treated to a wonderful sighting of this juvenile Snow Bunting, feeding along the edge of the path ahead of us. I have only ever seen Snow Buntings a handful of times, in the countryside around the city, always at a great distance, and usually in huge flocks. They are such pretty birds and are so beautiful when they are in flight. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Bunting

Another heavily cropped view of the juvenile Snow Bunting that we saw on October 24th in South Glenmore Park, not too far from the Sailing Club. I have only ever seen Snow Buntings a handful of times, in the countryside around the city, always at a great distance, and usually in huge flocks. They are such pretty birds and are so beautiful when they are in flight. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Bunting