Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: urban natural area

A couple of mornings ago, on 11 June 2015, I joined a group of friends for a walk in Weaselhead, hoping to see three species of Hummingbird - Calliope, Rufous and Ruby-throated. The Calliope (5 of them) gave us the closest (but still distant) views, while the other two were very distant. It never fails to amaze me that these three species are all found in Weaselhead. The Calliope male (not much bigger than a large Bumblebee, lol!) would occasionally flash the gorgeous feathers on its neck - the colour in the sunlight was amazing. As usual at this time of year, it was good to see the huge number of Cliff Swallows, swarming like a cloud of large insects around the metal bridge over the river. In flight, they catch insects and fly back to their mud nests, that are built under the bridge, to feed their babies. It amazes me how each bird knows which is its own nest - they all look alike. Another bird (a pair) that was good to see was the little Eastern Phoebe, back at the same location where it has been at least the last few years. So difficult to get a decent photo because of the distance - the photo I posted yesterday was the closest shot I had ever been able to get. It was taken when the bird flew to a piece of driftwood in the water. Along one of the paths, I suddenly spotted a splash of yellow some distance from the edge of the path, tucked into the shade of the bushes and shrubs. I knew that these gorgeous wild Orchids exist in this park, as some of us have been shown the "secret' place over the last few years. I don't remember seeing any growing in other spots, so this was a pleasant surprise. There are two varieties of this orchid: Large Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium pubescens var. pubescens) and Small Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) and I can never remember which is which. These flowers are bright yellow, pouch shape. Petals (behind the "slipper") are green with the Large Yellow Lady's-slipper, whereas the Small Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) has reddish petals, so I guess my photo shows the latter. If you do happen to find this orchid, do not disturb it. DO NOT attempt to transplant it to your own garden, as it will likely not survive.

A couple of mornings ago, on 11 June 2015, I joined a group of friends for a walk in Weaselhead, hoping to see three species of Hummingbird - Calliope, Rufous and Ruby-throated. The Calliope (5 of them) gave us the closest (but still distant) views, while the other two were very distant. It never fails to amaze me that these three species are all found in Weaselhead. This tiny bird (seemingly not much bigger than a large Bumblebee, lol!) would occasionally flash the gorgeous feathers on its neck - the colour in the sunlight was amazing. Very poor photo, but wanted to add it to my Weaselhead album. It is the smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world, spending its winters in Mexico. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Calliope_Hummingbird/id "This is the smallest breeding bird found in Canada and the United States. An adult calliope hummingbird can measure 7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in) in length, span 11 cm (4.3 in) across the wings and weigh 2 to 3 g (0.071 to 0.106 oz)." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope_hummingbird As usual at this time of year, it was good to see the huge number of Cliff Swallows, swarming like a cloud of large insects around the metal bridge over the river. In flight, they catch insects and fly back to their mud nests, that are built under the bridge, to feed their babies. It amazes me how each bird knows which is its own nest - they all look alike. Another bird (a pair) that was good to see was the little Eastern Phoebe, back at the same location where it has been at least the last few years. So difficult to get a decent photo because of the distance - the photo I posted yesterday was the closest shot I had ever been able to get. It was taken when the bird flew to a piece of driftwood in the water. The group divided into two for this walk and the following is the combined list of species seen. As usual, I didn't see all the listed birds, but was happy especially to see the three Hummingbird species. Mallard-2 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson’s Hawk-2, 1 captured juv. BBMagpie. Merlin-1, captured a Cliff Swallow. Spotted Sandpiper-1 Franklin’s Gull-50 Ruby-throated Hummingbird-2 Rufous Hummingbird-1 Calliope Hummingbird-5 Northern Flicker-4 Olive-sided Flycatcher-1. Eastern Phoebe-2 Black-billed Magpie-6 American Crow-4 Common Raven-1+ Tree Swallow-12 Cliff Swallow-249 Black-capped Chickadee-3 White-breasted Nuthatch-2 House Wren-6 American Robin-5 Gray Catbird-6 Cedar Waxwing-12 Yellow Warbler-10 Spotted Towhee-1 heard. Clay-colored Sparrow-12 White-throated Sparrow-6 Common Grackle-1 Brown-headed Cowbird-6 House Finch-2 American Goldfinch-2 Red Squirrel-3 Muskrat-1

Last night, I got the dreaded Blue Screen on my computer, so in a panic, I knew I just had to start backing up almost the last year's worth of photos! Will have to spend time the next few days continuing with this chore. Yesterday morning, 11 June 2015, I joined a group of friends for a walk in Weaselhead, hoping to see three species of Hummingbird - Calliope, Rufous and Ruby-throated. The Calliope (5 of them) gave us the closest (but still distant) views, while the other two were very distant. It never fails to amaze me that these three species are all found in Weaselhead. As usual at this time of year, it was good to see the huge number of Cliff Swallows, swarming like a cloud of large insects around the metal bridge over the river. In flight, they catch insects and fly back to their mud nests, that are built under the bridge, to feed their babies. It amazes me how each bird knows which is its own nest - they all look alike. Another bird (a pair) that was good to see was the little Eastern Phoebe, back at the same location where it has been at least the last few years. This photo is the closest one I've been able to get, taken when the bird flew to a piece of driftwood in the water. "One of our most familiar eastern flycatchers, the Eastern Phoebe’s raspy “phoebe” call is a frequent sound around yards and farms in spring and summer. These brown-and-white songbirds sit upright and wag their tails from prominent, low perches. They typically place their mud-and-grass nests in protected nooks on bridges, barns, and houses, which adds to the species’ familiarity to humans. Hardy birds, Eastern Phoebes winter farther north than most other flycatchers and are one of the earliest returning migrants in spring." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_phoebe/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_phoebe The group divided into two for this walk and the following is the combined list of species seen. As usual, I didn't see all the listed birds, but was happy especially to see the three Hummingbird species. Mallard-2 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson’s Hawk-2, 1 captured juv. BBMagpie. Merlin-1, captured a Cliff Swallow. Spotted Sandpiper-1 Franklin’s Gull-50 Ruby-throated Hummingbird-2 Rufous Hummingbird-1 Calliope Hummingbird-5 Northern Flicker-4 Olive-sided Flycatcher-1. Eastern Phoebe-2 Black-billed Magpie-6 American Crow-4 Common Raven-1+ Tree Swallow-12 Cliff Swallow-249 Black-capped Chickadee-3 White-breasted Nuthatch-2 House Wren-6 American Robin-5 Gray Catbird-6 Cedar Waxwing-12 Yellow Warbler-10 Spotted Towhee-1 heard. Clay-colored Sparrow-12 White-throated Sparrow-6 Common Grackle-1 Brown-headed Cowbird-6 House Finch-2 American Goldfinch-2 Red Squirrel-3 Muskrat-1