Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail

After two years, nearly 50,000 votes and thousands of public and expert comments, the Gray Jay is the bird that has finally been chosen as the National Bird of Canada. For all the reasons this bird was chosen, see the link below. www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/meet-our-national-bird-... www.calgaryherald.com/news/national/98hardy+intelligent+g... This photo was taken nearly three years ago, on 15 December 2013, when friends and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail. They were really hoping to see Moose that day. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in the photo above) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. The latter was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. Was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see the Grouse, especially a male. There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank and ditch, lol. This was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Reported by CBC News on 21 December 2013: "December (2013) SNOWFALL in Calgary has broken a 112-year record according to the city. The City made the announcement in a tweet Saturday morning after weeks of on-and-off heavy snowfall left many residents complaining about the lack of snow removal in parts of Calgary. "A total of 43.8 cm of snow has fallen in Calgary this month. We haven’t seen this much snow in 112 years!" tweeted the City."

For those of you who visit my photostream regularly (thank you so much!), please just ignore the description below, that is a repeat of what I wrote under my previously posted Gray Jay photos from the same day! I usually do repeat descriptions, to jog my own memory : ) On 15 December 2013, friends Cathy and Terry and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail. They were really hoping to see Moose that day. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in the photo above) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. We don't get Gray Jays in the city anymore - the last two I saw were down in Weaselhead, maybe five years ago. The Spruce Grouse was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. Was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see the Grouse, especially a male. There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank and ditch, lol. Both Terry and Cathy are excellent drivers, so I always feel totally safe being driven by them - this was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Thanks, guys, for a lovely day in beautiful scenery! Reported by CBC News on 21 December 2013: "December (2013) SNOWFALL in Calgary has broken a 112-year record according to the city. The City made the announcement in a tweet Saturday morning after weeks of on-and-off heavy snowfall left many residents complaining about the lack of snow removal in parts of Calgary. "A total of 43.8 cm of snow has fallen in Calgary this month. We haven’t seen this much snow in 112 years!" tweeted the City." www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/12325161474

On 15 December 2013, friends Cathy and Terry and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail. They were really hoping to see Moose that day. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in the photo above) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. The latter was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. Was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see the Grouse, especially a male. There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank and ditch, lol. Both Terry and Cathy are excellent drivers, so I always feel totally safe being driven by them - this was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Thanks, guys, for a lovely day in beautiful scenery! Reported by CBC News on 21 December 2013: "December (2013) SNOWFALL in Calgary has broken a 112-year record according to the city. The City made the announcement in a tweet Saturday morning after weeks of on-and-off heavy snowfall left many residents complaining about the lack of snow removal in parts of Calgary. "A total of 43.8 cm of snow has fallen in Calgary this month. We haven’t seen this much snow in 112 years!" tweeted the City."

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!! I want to wish my family and each and every one of my "local" friends, my long-time overseas friends, and my Flickr friends a very happy, healthy and safe New Year! It's hard to believe, isn't it, that 14 years have passed since all the fuss about the year 2000? Thank you all for your friendship and encouragement, and for letting me share my photos with you - SO much appreciated! I'm looking forward to another year of seeing where you have been and what beautiful things in nature you have discovered! On 15 December 2013, friends Cathy and Terry and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail. They were really hoping to see Moose. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in the photo above) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. The latter was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. Was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see the Grouse, especially a male. There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank, lol. Both Terry and Cathy are excellent drivers, so I always feel totally safe being driven by them - this was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Thanks, guys, for a lovely day in beautiful scenery! This morning, it's the annual Fish Creek Park New Year's Day Bird Count, so I need to dash and start getting ready to go out. It snowed again last night, so everywhere should look beautiful - except my car, which will once again have to be cleared of snow. Hopefully, it won't be too cold out there. Reported by CBC News on 21 December 2013: "December SNOWFALL in Calgary has broken a 112-year record according to the city. The City made the announcement in a tweet Saturday morning after weeks of on-and-off heavy snowfall left many residents complaining about the lack of snow removal in parts of Calgary. "A total of 43.8 cm of snow has fallen in Calgary this month. We haven’t seen this much snow in 112 years!" tweeted the City." www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/11685439545

Gotta dash, as an unexpected trip has just come up - will finish my descriptions later, when I get back. Continuing late evening: fifteen minutes before my alarm clock was due to go off this morning - set because I needed to get all sorts of things done today - my phone rings. Friend Phil said he was going to take a drive south of the city and did I want to come. Did I WANT to come, lol? A while later, I met up with him and our friend Rob, and off we went to the High River area for a few hours. Sightings included a Short-eared Owl sitting on a fence post and a Long-eared Owl, and a few Horned Larks. I think I can "rescue" one of my Short-eared Owl photos so that it's OK to post. I could tell at the time that all my photos, taken from inside the car, just were not coming out properly. This sometimes happens and I'm never quite sure why. The light wasn't quite right for my point-and-shoot and maybe there was still some heat rising from the vehicle, despite it being turned off. It was a great sighting, though. Perhaps the best that I've ever had of this species of Owl. Thanks a lot for the invitation, Phil - always much appreciated! On my way home from our meeting place, I drove all the way to the Glamorgan Bakery, getting there shortly before it closed. I only go there once a year, to buy the same delicious things, including their cheese buns, for which they are well known : ) I even posted the last half dozen of my overseas Christmas cards and letters today - they will arrive so late, but I am so relieved that they are finally done.