Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Cirsium arvense

Creeping (formerly Canada) Thistle, with a touch of filter added in post-processing. This was the very first time I had ever visited a particular Osprey nest, though "everyone" else seems to have been : ) The sun came out yesterday, 3 September 2018, but while I was down in the park, some dark clouds came rolling in. Far from good light, but I managed to get a few shots. Ospreys are such beautiful birds and I was lucky that I spotted the first one standing on a street light A second Osprey (juvenile) was standing on the nest, feeding on something that looked like the remains of a fish. I should have checked if they only eat fish before posting the other photo. One thing I do know is that I would never have been able to take such a close photo with my trusty old Panasonic FZ200. I have used that make and model for several years and have loved using it. However, it has bothered me, especially the last year and a half, that the optical zoom is only 24x (though I used it on 48x) - just not enough reach for tiny or far away birds. A few months ago, I finally gave in and got a Nikon P900. I have only used it a handful of times, but yesterday afternoon I made up my mind to give it a better try. I don't know where all the birds were, other than the two beautiful Osprey! One thing I need to find out as soon as possible is why I couldn't focus on anything that was not far away. No problem with distant things, but when I tried to focus say on a wildflower, I could not get the camera to focus at all. Stood maybe 12-15 feet away and zoomed in and the camera just refused to focus. Tried standing at different distances and nothing worked. A lot to learn, I can tell : ) Hard to believe our very cool temperatures recently! This morning, 4 September 2018, just after 10:30 am, it is only 6C (windchill 4C). A far cry from the record-breaking 36.4C that we had a few weeks ago. It definitely feels and looks like fall has arrived already.

Always interesting to come across a white Creeping (formerly Canada) Thistle instead of the usual pink. Just as noxious as the pink ones. Back to the bio-blitz on Lisa Harbinson' property for my photos tonight. I have just added six extra photos. I really need to get the rest of my suitable shots taken that day edited and posted, so that I can send her the link to my album. The area we visited on 7 August was an 80-acre site near Bottrel, NW of Calgary. The site consisted of mostly open, low, hilly, ungrazed land, with a few Aspens and Spruce, and willows around three ponds (two of which were dry). On 25 May 2018, four people had visited this site for the first time - I had been unable to go, as I was spending the day with my daughter. The original visit was the result of the owners winning a free bioblitz at a Silent Auction, in connection with the Ghost Valley Community. A great idea and always a win-win situation, with the land owners learning a lot about what is found on their land, and the leader and participants enjoying a much-appreciated visit to a different location. We were very lucky to see an adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with two juveniles. I rarely see one of these birds, but love to see the neat rows of small holes that they make on a tree trunk. Did you know that photographing mushrooms can be dangerous? I believe I knew this already and I was reminded of this on this bio-blitz. Towards the end of our hike, I stopped to photograph a not particularly photogenic mushroom that was growing on a very slight incline. I took one step back to focus better and lost my balance - not sure if my foot went down into a shallow hole or if I was tripped up by one of the many very small, short tree stumps. Whatever the cause, I did a most inelegant, slow-motion fall backwards, hitting my head hard on the ground, surrounded by my friends. Because I was wearing a backpack, I think this resulted in some whiplash, with my head falling back. It was not pleasant to drive anywhere the next day, especially each time I had to start off when traffic lights turned green. The muscles all around my neck and my shoulders are painful, but hopefully it will clear up before too long.

This photo of several tiny (size: 22-26 mm) Skipper butterflies on a Creeping/Canada Thistle was taken on 23 July 2015, at Darryl Teskey's property. These unusual butterflies have such large eyes : ) "The eyes of Skippers are different from those of other butterflies. They have a space between the cones and rods which allows light from each ommatidium to spill into neighbouring rods, effectively increasing their resolution and sensitivity. As a result Skippers can fly very accurately from one spot to another. This different type of eye structure is one of the reasons why taxonomists place them in a different super-family to all other butterflies - the Hesperioidea." Source: www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Anatomy.htm "The European Skipper can be found on the wing in June and July. Becoming an invasive species of butterfly, it can be found in the grasslands of central Alberta spreading about 25 km every year. The European Skipper can be recognized by its bright orange wings marked by dark wing veins. The edge of the wings are bordered with black. The aptly named European Skipper is also known as the Essex Skipper in its native habitat. The mature adults prefer grassland flowers and the caterpillars the grass itself. The European Skipper did not arrive in Alberta until 1987 slowly migrating from eastern provinces or from laying their eggs in transported hay bales." Source: Acorn, John. Butterflies of Alberta. Edmonton: Lone Pine Publishing, 1993. Print. On this day, five of us spent the day botanizing the land belonging to Darryl Teskey, SW of Calgary and W of Millarville (maybe a 40-minute drive from Calgary). This was the first time I had been there and I'm so glad I was invited to go - I would have missed all sorts of things, including a family of Ruffed Grouse and several fungi. These Grouse were the rare rufous-morph, and we startled them when we were walking through the forest in their direction. Usually, you don't see Grouse because they are so well-hidden. When you get fairly close (sometimes very close) to them, they suddenly "explode" from the tangle of shrubs and plants of the forest floor, making ones heart beat fast! We were taken by surprise when we came across a nearby statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. A nice idea, I thought. Our walk took us over grassland and through forest, many places treacherous with so many fallen logs which were often barely visible. I have never, ever seen so many tiny Skipper butterflies - there must have been hundreds or even thousands of these bright orange beauties that were flying or perched on flowers of every colour. Fortunately, the rain stayed away until we started driving back to Calgary. Quite a lot of black clouds, reminding me of the tornado that passed through Calgary just the day before (22 July 2015). Our purpose, as always, was to find and list everything that we saw - wildflowers, trees, grasses, birds, insects, fungi, etc.. Our leader then compiles an extensive list of our finds and this is later sent to the landowner, along with any photos that we might take. Always a win/win situation, as the landowner then has a much better idea of just what is on his property, and we have a most enjoyable day.

Most people call this Canada Thistle, but Creeping Thistle is the more accurate name, as this is an introduced plant from Europe. Was lucky to catch a plant with a flower still on it, as most of the ones I see have gone to seed now. This is an invasive plant that has taken over vast areas all over the city, preventing our wonderful native wildflowers from growing. Has become a real problem that needs to be dealt with - somehow!

Taken at the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area, SW of Calgary, on August 19th. Unfortunately, Creeping Thistle (also called Canada Thistle) is intensely invasive. Status in Alberta is Noxious.

So beautiful, yet so devastating! This is one of our main invasive weeds, also called Canada Thistle, and it has taken over so many parts of our lovely natural areas. This species is native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere (including here, unfortunately). The name "Canada Thistle, is misleading, as the plant is not native to this country. Creeping Thistle is the preferred name - and WE don't want to be blamed for something so destructive, when we didn't start the whole thing, lol!! Each spring, it forms extensive clonal colonies from an underground root system that sends up numerous erect stems. Photographed (macro) this particular plant at Clearwater Park, on the west side of the city, off Highway 8, September 4th last year. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_arvense

This is where we spent the day botanizing on Saturday, 21st August - Horshoe Canyon, near Drumheller, in the Badlands of Alberta. To the north east of our city, there are endless miles of flat prairie. Then, suddenly, one comes across the amazing Badlands - our own mini Grand Canyon! This is one of the best-known sites in the Canadian Badlands, located 17 kilometres west of Drumheller on Highway 9. Horseshoe Canyon is about 145 km (88 miles) from Calgary. It takes between 1½ hours and 2 hours to drive there from Calgary. This shot was taken just before I reached the top rim after a day of plant search. Unfortunately, the invasive Creeping/Canada Thistle was growing here in abundance. "Horseshoe Canyon is an isolated pocket of badlands amidst the Alberta prairie. Apart from its aesthetic value, Horseshoe Canyon also represents three unique habitats or ecosystems: the prairie, the wooded coulee slopes and the badlands." www.natureconservancy.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=ab_ncc_... www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

A macro of a small Canada Thistle flower, Cirsium arvense, (also known locally as Creeping Thistle). This species was introduced from France. Also called Field Thistle. The stems of this noxious weed (with beautiful flowers) creep underground, forming colonies and it seems to have invaded everywhere, preventing our native species from growing. Photographed this one at Horseshoe Canyon, near Drumheller, in the Alberta Badlands. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=1281

This plant originated in Eurasia and was introduced all across Canada. Though it is a valuable nectar source for honey bees, it has become a troublesome and noxious weed in Alberta.

Not sure what kind of Skipper this is, but it looks different from others I have photographed.