Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: first day out of nest

No time to go out taking photos, so I dug into my archives again. I am posting the description I added under a previously posted photo taken on the same day, 28 May 2012. On a different day, I was priviledged to actually hold this youngster, when a friend, a raptor bander, came to band it. What an experience that was! I believe the last time I saw a Northern Hawk Owl was on 30 January 2017. "From the archives! I took lots of photos of this priceless Northern Hawk Owlet and other owls last year, but still haven't really gone through my images properly. So, the occasional one from almost a year ago might still pop up now and again on my photostream. This was the first day out of the nest for this little owlet : ) I believe the last time I saw a Northern Hawk Owl was on 29 January, 2017. We have been in a deep-freeze the last few days with windchill temperatures down to -40C. Far too cold to risk going out anywhere, including trying to take photos. The blizzard we had on Monday caused snowdrifts everywhere, and it would be all too easy to get ones car stuck in deep snow. So, into the photo archives I keep going! This Northern Hawk Owlet, with the piercing eyes, was the cutest little thing. We were so privileged to be able to watch this family of three on a number of occasions. This particular day, 28 May 2012, was the owlet's first day out of the nest and we watched as it climbed over the rough ground and on to fallen logs and eventually clawed and flapped its way up this short, very thin tree and perched on the curved top. Some time later, Mom flew in with a Meadow Vole for the hungry youngster."

NOTE to anyone who belongs to the ipernity website (includes me): ipernity will be closing in January 2017. A great shame, but also frustrating. I have all 12,644 of my images and descriptions on ipernity - exactly the same as on Flickr. Panoramio, too, has closed down, so there are a lot of people out there who will be looking for a new place to call home. No idea where we are supposed to move to now, if anywhere. Does anyone have any ideas for good sites? I seem to read complaints about them all! Hope Flickr keeps going and going and going ..... I still reckon it's the best, despite its faults. www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4642052 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This photo of a Great Horned Owlet, from my archives, was taken on 6 May 2016. The photo quality is poor, but I thought it was just too cute to delete. Unfortunately, I had half a dozen errands to run before allowing myself to go out with my camera that day, so I didn't get to the park till part way through the evening, and the light was already beginning to quickly fade. This beautiful owlet had been on the ground for a while before I arrived. There were a few people there and more came and went. However, I later heard that the owlet had been able to claw and flap its way up one of the trees and was safely out of reach of most predators. Meanwhile, the other fledgling had been very high up in a different tree, along with Mom. I'm glad I did call in at this location when I did, as this beautiful little owl gave us a few chances for photos when it was up on a log or down on the ground, partly hidden by the plants and bushes. I don't know how it ended up on the ground, but obviously it fell from somewhere or misjudged flying distance when it finally left the nesting tree. An interesting world for it to explore, though it wasn't very steady on its feet yet : ) Things seem to have happened so fast this spring and I missed seeing the two owlets balancing on the rim of the nesting tree, exercising their wings before fledging. Also, I have been so busy that I've only been over to see the youngsters a handful of times. Looking on the more important side, this has meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or the little ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack. "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics. Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

JELLYFIELDS - warning! A few days ago, I did a Google search to see what blogs have used my photos. Many of them asked permission before hand, but, needless to say, others did not. If you post photos anywhere on the Internet, that is unfortunately just a fact of life. I just scrolled down, clicking on each one in turn. When I clicked on one website in the search result list, I discovered that not only were a lot of my photos being displayed, but they were also mixed in with a pile of pornographic videos and photos. According to someone on the Flickr Help Forum, these photos were probably taken from the Jellyfields website before they disabled right-click. Not impressed one bit, I contacted Jellyfields and asked for all my photos to be removed from their site. James was in touch with me immediately and, after getting me to confirm that the displayed photos were mine, said they will remove my photos as requested. He was surprised that nature/wildlife photos would be stolen and added to a porn site, but that is exactly what has happened. Haven't yet found a way to contact the porn site, Tumview.com to demand my photos be removed. I should add that Jellyfields does refer photos back to Flickr, saying to check what the copyright is for each photo. Who needs all this hassle?!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yet another overcast, dreary morning here today, 18 November 2016, with a temperature of -3C (windchill -7C). The sun is supposed to come out this afternoon, which would be a really welcome sight. This photo of a Great Horned Owlet was taken on 6 May 2016, in a local natural area/park. Unfortunately, I had half a dozen errands to run before allowing myself to go out with my camera, so I didn't get there till late, and the light quickly began to fade. No time to look around the area for any other birds on this visit. This beautiful owlet had been on the ground for a while before I arrived. There were a few people there and more came and went. However, I later heard that the owlet had been able to claw and flap its way up one of the trees and was safely out of reach of most predators. Meanwhile, the other fledgling had been very high up in a different tree, along with Mom. I'm glad I did call in at this location when I did, as this beautiful little owl gave us a few chances for photos when it was up on a log or down on the ground, usually partly hidden by the plants and bushes. I don't know how it ended up on the ground, but obviously it fell from somewhere or misjudged flying distance and missed an intended branch when it finally left the nesting tree. An interesting world for it to explore, though it wasn't very steady on its feet yet : ) Things seem to happen so fast this spring and I missed seeing the two owlets balancing on the rim of the nesting tree, exercising their wings before fledging. Also, I had been so busy that I only went over to see the youngsters a handful of times. Looking on the more important side, this meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or the little ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack. "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics. Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

It's another overcast, dreary morning here today, 16 November 2016 with a temperature of -2C (windchill -5C). It would have been my oldest daughter's birthday today. This photo of a Great Horned Owlet was taken on 6 May 2016, in a local natural area/park. Unfortunately, I had half a dozen errands to run before allowing myself to go out with my camera, so I didn't get there till late, and the light quickly began to fade. No time to look around the area for any other birds on this visit. This beautiful owlet had been on the ground for a while before I arrived. There were a few people there and more came and went. However, I later heard that it had been able to claw and flap its way up one of the trees and was safely out of reach of most predators. Meanwhile, the other fledgling had been very high up in a different tree, along with Mom. I'm glad I did call in at this location when I did, as this beautiful little owl gave us a few chances for photos when it was up on a log or down on the ground, usually partly hidden by the plants and bushes. I don't know how it ended up on the ground, but obviously it fell from somewhere or misjudged flying distance when it finally left the nesting tree. An interesting world for it to explore, though it wasn't very steady on its feet yet : ) In this photo, I think it was looking at the nearest big tree, knowing that somehow it had to reach it and climb up it. Things seem to happen so fast this spring and I missed seeing the two owlets balancing on the rim of the nesting tree, exercising their wings before fledging. Also, I had been so busy that I only went over to see the youngsters a handful of times. Looking on the more important side, this has meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or the little ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack. "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics. Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

Wow, practically no photos showing on My Contacts page all day today. Trust it's not a Flickr glitch. Also just noticed that this photo has only 85 views (at almost 4:00 pm) - something not right with that, for a main photo. In fact, almost unheard of : ) Something definitely wrong. My stats for this image show around 300 views, but only 85 showing under the actual image. Adding this info really for my own use. Later: other people are having the same problem and Flickr staff are looking into it. You just have to love the feathery 'saddlebags' that young Great Horned Owl owlets have at this stage : ) Just a mass of fluff, that they gradually lose. Hopefully, birds and other wildlife use the discarded feathers for lining their nests or dens. Taken about three weeks ago, on 6 May 2016, in a local natural area/park. Unfortunately, I had half a dozen errands to run before allowing myself to go out with my camera, so I didn't get there till late, and the light quickly began to fade. No time to look around the area for any other birds on this visit. This beautiful owlet had been on the ground for a while before I arrived. There were a few people there and more came and went. I didn't want to risk a large crowd turning up if I posted this photo immediately. However I later heard that it had been able to claw and flap its way up one of the trees and was safely out of reach of most predators. Meanwhile, the other fledgling had been very high up in a different tree, along with Mom. I'm glad I did call in at this location when I did, as this beautiful little owl gave us a few chances for photos when it was up on a log or down on the ground, usually partly hidden by the plants and bushes. I don't know how it ended up on the ground, but obviously it fell from somewhere or misjudged flying distance when it finally left the nesting tree. An interesting world for it to explore, though it wasn't very steady on its feet yet : ) Things seem to have happened so fast this spring and I missed seeing the two owlets balancing on the rim of the nesting tree, exercising their wings before fledging. Also, I have been so busy that I've only been over to see the youngsters a handful of times. Looking on the more important side, this has meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or the little ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack. "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics. Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

Update on the massive wildfire in the Fort McMurray area: "On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings and forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Albertan history. As of May 17, it continues to spread across northern Alberta, consuming forested areas and impacting Athabasca oil sands operations. It may become the costliest disaster in Canadian history. .... While the fire had moved away from Fort McMurray, explosions and poor air quality continued to prevent residents and rebuilding crews from returning to the town. The wildfire is still burning and is expected to take months to contain and extinguish." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Fort_McMurray_wildfire www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/the-fort-mcmurray-di... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This photo was taken on 6 May 2016, about two weeks ago. I didn't post it straight away, as I wanted to be certain that this owlet had managed to climb high up into a tree, where it would be safe. Unfortunately, I had half a dozen errands to run before allowing myself to go out with my camera that day, so I didn't get to the park till part way through the evening, and the light was already beginning to quickly fade. This beautiful owlet had been on the ground for a while before I arrived. There were a few people there and more came and went. I didn't want to risk a large crowd turning up if I posted this photo immediately. However I later heard that it had been able to claw and flap its way up one of the trees and was safely out of reach of most predators. Meanwhile, the other fledgling had been very high up in a different tree, along with Mom. I'm glad I did call in at this location when I did, as this beautiful little owl gave us a few chances for photos when it was up on a log or down on the ground, partly hidden by the plants and bushes. I don't know how it ended up on the ground, but obviously it fell from somewhere or misjudged flying distance when it finally left the nesting tree. An interesting world for it to explore, though it wasn't very steady on its feet yet : ) Things seem to have happened so fast this spring and I missed seeing the two owlets balancing on the rim of the nesting tree, exercising their wings before fledging. Also, I have been so busy that I've only been over to see the youngsters a handful of times. Looking on the more important side, this has meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or the little ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack. "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics. Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

Flickr has still not fixed the problem of Contacts' photos not showing up on the My Contacts page. This is the second day in a row now, so hopefully it will be fixed - and soon! From the archives! This Northern Hawk Owlet was the cutest little thing. We were so privileged to be able to watch this family of three on a number of occasions. This particular day, 28 May 2012, was the owlet's first day out of the nest and we watched as it climbed over the rough ground and on to fallen logs and eventually clawed and flapped its way up this short, very thin tree and perched on the curved top. Some time later, Mom flew in with a Meadow Vole for the hungry youngster.

We have been in a deep-freeze the last few days with windchill temperatures down to -40C. Far too cold to risk going out anywhere, including trying to take photos. The blizzard we had on Monday caused snowdrifts everywhere, and it would be all too easy to get ones car stuck in deep snow. So, into the photo archives I keep going! This Northern Hawk Owlet, with the piercing eyes, was the cutest little thing. We were so privileged to be able to watch this family of three on a number of occasions. This particular day, 28 May 2012, was the owlet's first day out of the nest and we watched as it climbed over the rough ground and on to fallen logs and eventually clawed and flapped its way up this short, very thin tree and perched on the curved top. Some time later, Mom flew in with a Meadow Vole for the hungry youngster.

This was this little owlet's first day out of the nest. A whole, big world to explore. Here, it found a very thin, small "tree" with a curved trunk and we watched with baited breath as it tried to climb by digging in its claws and flapping its wings. It finally made it to the top of the curve where it waited and waited for Mom to eventually fly in with a Meadow Vole. I always think owlets are the cutest little things when they have their feathered legs straightened out. Taken on 3 June 2012, NW of Calgary. A few days later, I felt totally privileged to have the chance to hold this beautiful youngster on the evening it was being banded. An opportunity that friends and I will never forget.