Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: near Eagle Lake

Couldn't resist taking a few photos of one of friend Lynn's cats, which was hanging out with a few birders when I drove to her property at Marsland Basin yesterday afternoon, 7 September 2016. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. Eventually, this cat could no longer keep its eyes open, after quite a long struggle to do so. This was quite a long drive for me. A fellow birder had sent out an email to everyone, saying that he was going east of the city yesterday, to visit Lynn Gratz and her partner at Marsland Basin, and that anyone else was welcome to join him. This was enough incentive to make me do the drive eastward. I have been out there maybe three or four times before, but by carpooling. Yesterday was the very first time I had ever driven there myself. So much traffic and construction on the eastern edge of the city, so I really don't like that drive, until I am way past it all. I certainly hadn't intended doing a long drive like this is my new car, at least not until it has been 'broken in'. The weather was beautiful all day and there were a fair number of birds, especially shorebirds in the water and on the mudflats. Too far away, really, for much in the way of photos, though I did take some. Just before I got there, I spotted a beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched on a fence post. Didn't see it till was almost past it, and then I couldn't figure out how to put my widow down, lol, so had to turn around. Then I found that the Hawk was too low down because of a ditch, so I couldn't see it from the driver's seat through the passenger window. Silly new cars with the front console!!! In my old car, I could slide across and point out the passenger window, if needed. So, had to drive down the road and turn around again! This time, I found how to put down my window and managed three quick shots before it flew away. These were really the main photos I took that afternoon - and by the time I had driven all the way back to Calgary, I was exhausted. Many thanks, Lynn, for always allowing us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds to enjoy.

It snowed overnight and is heavily overcast and dreary this morning, 11 December 2015. Temperature is -1C (windchill -5C) and humidity is 93%, and the Fog Advisory continues from yesterday. In other words, it doesn't look or sound very welcoming outside. Yesterday, when I picked up my car from being repaired (after the accident I was involved in, but was not at fault), I got a free carwash. (Turned out that the heat shield had been damaged by the impact and that was what was causing the rattling.) Unfortunately, by the time I had run an errand or two, my car windows were fogged up badly and I suspect they may all have a covering of ice on the inside this morning, which will not be good. However, it does feel good to have a drivable car again, thank goodness. This beautiful Sunflower was growing in Lynn Gratz's garden out at Marsland Basin. Just what is needed today, 11 December 2015, it's such an unpleasant, winter-like day. On 27 September 2015, I joined friends on a most enjoyable day of birding east of the city. Below, I have added Howard Heffler's report of the day's sightings, adding that, as usual, there were some species that I didn't see myself. We were all delighted to see a huge swarm of Greater White-fronted Geese fly over the wetland at Marsland Basin. In the far distance, we could see a second huge gathering of them, but these didn't fly towards us. People were seeing several Snow Geese mixed in with the flock, but I only spotted them when I had downloaded my photos to my computer. It was also nice to see one of the four Badgers in the family that lives on a property adjacent to our friend Lynn's land. On a previous visit, I had been lucky enough to see three of these Badgers. These are so rarely seen. "We had 12 people show up for a beautiful day to explore the sloughs east of Calgary. This included a lovely young family visiting from Lac la Biche. It was a bit chilly for the first two stops at the slough on Glenmore Trail and RR 284 and at Chestermere Lake. We then went directly to Marsland Basin when we spent much of our time. Although Lynn and Sue were not at home, we explored their property and listed 38 bird species and had a good look at one member of the badger family that lives on the adjacent property. By now the sun was up, we were all warm and there were a few passerines to add to the waterfowl. A highlight was an estimated 5000 Greater White-fronted Geese flying over. From there we went to the south side of Eagle Lake where we saw a distant murmuration of an (estimated) 10,000 European Starlings. Even from a distance this is a moving sight. Cattleland Slough did not add anything new to the list so we headed for home. Thanks to everyone for their sharp eyes and to Andrew Hart for his listing skills on eBird. The list below includes birds seen by the group and includes birds seen while driving and even the Downy Woodpecker in the Carburn parking lot. The numbers reported are the (best guess) of totals from all sightings. Errors of omission or commission rest with the author…. Greater White-fronted Goose - 5000 Snow Goose - 8 Canada Goose - 100 Gadwall - 74 American Wigeon - 7 Mallard - 44 Blue-winged Teal - 4 Northern Shoveler - 22 Northern Pintail - 71 Green-winged Teal - 110 Canvasback - 8 Redhead - 6 Ring-necked Duck - 8 Lesser Scaup - 150 Bufflehead - 38 Common Goldeneye - 12 Barrow's Goldeneye - 4 Ruddy Duck - 24 Gray Partridge - 12 Horned Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 9 Northern Harrier - 1 Bald Eagle - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Swainson's Hawk - 1 American Coot - 390 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Lesser Yellowlegs - 22 Long-billed Dowitcher - 3 Bonaparte's Gull - 36 Franklin's Gull - 42 Ring-billed Gull - 185 Rock Pigeon - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Black-billed Magpie - 7 American Crow - 24 Common Raven - 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 American Robin - 2 European Starling - 10000 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Dark-eyed Junco - 5 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Red-winged Blackbird - 8 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 Western Meadowlark - 2 Brewer's Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 10 American Goldfinch - 1 House Sparrow - 20 TOTAL: 54 species Howard Heffler" Thanks so much, Dan and Cindy, for driving Darlene and myself there and back! We both greatly appreciated it!

This photo was taken in Lynn's garden on 27 September 2015, when I joined friends on a most enjoyable day of birding east of the city. I love the way Sunflower petals wither and twist when the flower is dying in the fall. Below, I have added Howard Heffler's report of the day's sightings, adding that, as usual, there were some species that I didn't see myself. We were all delighted to see a huge swarm of Greater White-fronted Geese fly over the wetland at Marsland Basin. In the far distance, we could see a second huge gathering of them, but these didn't fly towards us. People were seeing several Snow Geese mixed in with the flock, but I only spotted them when I had downloaded my photos to my computer. It was also nice to see one of the four Badgers in the family that lives on a property adjacent to our friend Lynn's land. On a previous visit, I had been lucky enough to see three of these Badgers. These are so rarely seen. "We had 12 people show up for a beautiful day to explore the sloughs east of Calgary. This included a lovely young family visiting from Lac la Biche. It was a bit chilly for the first two stops at the slough on Glenmore Trail and RR 284 and at Chestermere Lake. We then went directly to Marsland Basin when we spent much of our time. Although Lynn and Sue were not at home, we explored their property and listed 38 bird species and had a good look at one member of the badger family that lives on the adjacent property. By now the sun was up, we were all warm and there were a few passerines to add to the waterfowl. A highlight was an estimated 5000 Greater White-fronted Geese flying over. From there we went to the south side of Eagle Lake where we saw a distant murmuration of an (estimated) 10,000 European Starlings. Even from a distance this is a moving sight. Cattleland Slough did not add anything new to the list so we headed for home. Thanks to everyone for their sharp eyes and to Andrew Hart for his listing skills on eBird. The list below includes birds seen by the group and includes birds seen while driving and even the Downy Woodpecker in the Carburn parking lot. The numbers reported are the (best guess) of totals from all sightings. Errors of omission or commission rest with the author…. Greater White-fronted Goose - 5000 Snow Goose - 8 Canada Goose - 100 Gadwall - 74 American Wigeon - 7 Mallard - 44 Blue-winged Teal - 4 Northern Shoveler - 22 Northern Pintail - 71 Green-winged Teal - 110 Canvasback - 8 Redhead - 6 Ring-necked Duck - 8 Lesser Scaup - 150 Bufflehead - 38 Common Goldeneye - 12 Barrow's Goldeneye - 4 Ruddy Duck - 24 Gray Partridge - 12 Horned Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 9 Northern Harrier - 1 Bald Eagle - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Swainson's Hawk - 1 American Coot - 390 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Lesser Yellowlegs - 22 Long-billed Dowitcher - 3 Bonaparte's Gull - 36 Franklin's Gull - 42 Ring-billed Gull - 185 Rock Pigeon - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Black-billed Magpie - 7 American Crow - 24 Common Raven - 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 American Robin - 2 European Starling - 10000 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Dark-eyed Junco - 5 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Red-winged Blackbird - 8 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 Western Meadowlark - 2 Brewer's Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 10 American Goldfinch - 1 House Sparrow - 20 TOTAL: 54 species Howard Heffler" Thanks so much, Dan and Cindy, for driving Darlene and myself there and back! We both greatly appreciated it! Many thanks, too, to Lynn and her partner, for telling everyone to come out to their home and wetland as often as we like - the more often, the better : ) A reminder to anyone going out there, to please sign the small notebook kept in a plastic tub on one of the outdoor tables overlooking the wetland. If Lynn or Sue are anywhere to be seen when you visit, do introduce yourselves.

On 27 September 2015, I joined friends on a most enjoyable day of birding east of the city. Below, I have added Howard Heffler's report of the day's sightings, adding that, as usual, there were some species that I didn't see myself. We were all delighted to see a huge swarm of Greater White-fronted Geese fly over the wetland at Marsland Basin. In the far distance, we could see a second huge gathering of them, but these didn't fly towards us. People were seeing several Snow Geese mixed in with the flock, but I only spotted them when I had downloaded my photos to my computer. It was also nice to see one of the four Badgers in the family that lives on a property adjacent to our friend Lynn's land. On a previous visit, I had been lucky enough to see three of these Badgers. These are so rarely seen. "We had 12 people show up for a beautiful day to explore the sloughs east of Calgary. This included a lovely young family visiting from Lac la Biche. It was a bit chilly for the first two stops at the slough on Glenmore Trail and RR 284 and at Chestermere Lake. We then went directly to Marsland Basin when we spent much of our time. Although Lynn and Sue were not at home, we explored their property and listed 38 bird species and had a good look at one member of the badger family that lives on the adjacent property. By now the sun was up, we were all warm and there were a few passerines to add to the waterfowl. A highlight was an estimated 5000 Greater White-fronted Geese flying over. From there we went to the south side of Eagle Lake where we saw a distant murmuration of an (estimated) 10,000 European Starlings. Even from a distance this is a moving sight. Cattleland Slough did not add anything new to the list so we headed for home. Thanks to everyone for their sharp eyes and to Andrew Hart for his listing skills on eBird. The list below includes birds seen by the group and includes birds seen while driving and even the Downy Woodpecker in the Carburn parking lot. The numbers reported are the (best guess) of totals from all sightings. Errors of omission or commission rest with the author…. Greater White-fronted Goose - 5000 Snow Goose - 8 Canada Goose - 100 Gadwall - 74 American Wigeon - 7 Mallard - 44 Blue-winged Teal - 4 Northern Shoveler - 22 Northern Pintail - 71 Green-winged Teal - 110 Canvasback - 8 Redhead - 6 Ring-necked Duck - 8 Lesser Scaup - 150 Bufflehead - 38 Common Goldeneye - 12 Barrow's Goldeneye - 4 Ruddy Duck - 24 Gray Partridge - 12 Horned Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 9 Northern Harrier - 1 Bald Eagle - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Swainson's Hawk - 1 American Coot - 390 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Lesser Yellowlegs - 22 Long-billed Dowitcher - 3 Bonaparte's Gull - 36 Franklin's Gull - 42 Ring-billed Gull - 185 Rock Pigeon - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Black-billed Magpie - 7 American Crow - 24 Common Raven - 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 American Robin - 2 European Starling - 10000 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Dark-eyed Junco - 5 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Red-winged Blackbird - 8 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 Western Meadowlark - 2 Brewer's Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 10 American Goldfinch - 1 House Sparrow - 20 TOTAL: 54 species Howard Heffler" Thanks so much, Dan and Cindy, for driving Darlene and myself there and back! We both greatly appreciated it!

I know for sure this is a Dark-eyed Junco - female or juvenile? It was seen on a trip east of the city on 27 September 2015, when it flew to a fence near where we were standing and stayed long enough to get a couple of shots. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-eyed_junco A week ago, on 27 September 2015, I joined friends on a most enjoyable day of birding east of the city. Below, I have added Howard Heffler's report of the day's sightings, adding that, as usual, there were some species that I didn't see myself. We were all delighted to see a huge flock (estimated 5,000) of Greater White-fronted Geese fly over the wetland at Marsland Basin. In the far distance, we could see a second huge gathering of them, but these didn't fly towards us. People were seeing several Snow Geese mixed in with the flock, but I only spotted them when I got my photos downloaded to my computer. It was also nice to see one of the four Badgers in the family that lives on a property adjacent to our friend Lyn's land. On a previous visit, I had been lucky enough to see three of these Badgers. These are so rarely seen. "We had 12 people show up for a beautiful day to explore the sloughs east of Calgary. This included a lovely young family visiting from Lac la Biche. It was a bit chilly for the first two stops at the slough on Glenmore Trail and RR 284 and at Chestermere Lake. We then went directly to Marsland Basin when we spent much of our time. Although Lynn and Sue were not at home, we explored their property and listed 38 bird species and had a good look at one member of the badger family that lives on the adjacent property. By now the sun was up, we were all warm and there were a few passerines to add to the waterfowl. A highlight was an estimated 5000 Greater White-fronted Geese flying over. From there we went to the south side of Eagle Lake where we saw a distant murmuration of an (estimated) 10,000 European Starlings. Even from a distance this is a moving sight. Cattleland Slough did not add anything new to the list so we headed for home. Thanks to everyone for their sharp eyes and to Andrew Hart for his listing skills on eBird. The list below includes birds seen by the group and includes birds seen while driving and even the Downy Woodpecker in the Carburn parking lot. The numbers reported are the (best guess) of totals from all sightings. Errors of omission or commission rest with the author…. Greater White-fronted Goose - 5000 Snow Goose - 8 Canada Goose - 100 Gadwall - 74 American Wigeon - 7 Mallard - 44 Blue-winged Teal - 4 Northern Shoveler - 22 Northern Pintail - 71 Green-winged Teal - 110 Canvasback - 8 Redhead - 6 Ring-necked Duck - 8 Lesser Scaup - 150 Bufflehead - 38 Common Goldeneye - 12 Barrow's Goldeneye - 4 Ruddy Duck - 24 Gray Partridge - 12 Horned Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 9 Northern Harrier - 1 Bald Eagle - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Swainson's Hawk - 1 American Coot - 390 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Lesser Yellowlegs - 22 Long-billed Dowitcher - 3 Bonaparte's Gull - 36 Franklin's Gull - 42 Ring-billed Gull - 185 Rock Pigeon - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Black-billed Magpie - 7 American Crow - 24 Common Raven - 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 American Robin - 2 European Starling - 10000 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Dark-eyed Junco - 5 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Red-winged Blackbird - 8 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 Western Meadowlark - 2 Brewer's Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 10 American Goldfinch - 1 House Sparrow - 20 TOTAL: 54 species Howard Heffler" Thanks so much, Dan and Cindy, for driving Darlene and myself there and back! We both greatly appreciated it!

Yes, a pretty much useless shot, including as far as ID is concerned. However, these birds were a tiny part of roughly 5,000 Greater White-fronted Geese that we saw flying over Marsland Basin on 27 September 2015 and I wanted to add this photo to my albums. This Goose species "is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill" and I think I can just catch a spot of white on the top right Goose's face. On this September day, I joined friends on a most enjoyable day of birding east of the city. Below, I have added Howard Heffler's report of the day's sightings, adding that, as usual, there were some species that I didn't see myself. We were all delighted to see a huge swarm of Greater White-fronted Geese fly over the wetland at Marsland Basin. In the far distance, we could see a second huge gathering of them, but these didn't fly towards us. People were seeing several Snow Geese mixed in with the flock seen in my photo, but I only spotted them when I got the photo on my computer. I can see four of them towards the left side of the photo, above the right hand edge of the red/purplish bushes. "Breeding across the tundra from Nunavut to Siberia, across Russia, and in Greenland, the Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world. In North America, however, it is common only west of the Mississippi River, where it is found in large flocks in wetlands and croplands." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_White-fronted_Goose/l... "It is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill. Even more distinctive are the salt-and-pepper markings on the breast of adult birds, which is why the goose is colloquially called the "specklebelly" in North America." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_white-fronted_goose It was also nice to see one of the four Badgers in the family that lives on a property adjacent to our friend Lyn's land. On a previous visit, I had been lucky enough to see three of these Badgers. These are so rarely seen. "We had 12 people show up for a beautiful day to explore the sloughs east of Calgary. This included a lovely young family visiting from Lac la Biche. It was a bit chilly for the first two stops at the slough on Glenmore Trail and RR 284 and at Chestermere Lake. We then went directly to Marsland Basin when we spent much of our time. Although Lynn and Sue were not at home, we explored their property and listed 38 bird species and had a good look at one member of the badger family that lives on the adjacent property. By now the sun was up, we were all warm and there were a few passerines to add to the waterfowl. A highlight was an estimated 5000 Greater White-fronted Geese flying over. From there we went to the south side of Eagle Lake where we saw a distant murmuration of an (estimated) 10,000 European Starlings. Even from a distance this is a moving sight. Cattleland Slough did not add anything new to the list so we headed for home. Thanks to everyone for their sharp eyes and to Andrew Hart for his listing skills on eBird. The list below includes birds seen by the group and includes birds seen while driving and even the Downy Woodpecker in the Carburn parking lot. The numbers reported are the (best guess) of totals from all sightings. Errors of omission or commission rest with the author…. Greater White-fronted Goose - 5000 Snow Goose - 8 Canada Goose - 100 Gadwall - 74 American Wigeon - 7 Mallard - 44 Blue-winged Teal - 4 Northern Shoveler - 22 Northern Pintail - 71 Green-winged Teal - 110 Canvasback - 8 Redhead - 6 Ring-necked Duck - 8 Lesser Scaup - 150 Bufflehead - 38 Common Goldeneye - 12 Barrow's Goldeneye - 4 Ruddy Duck - 24 Gray Partridge - 12 Horned Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 9 Northern Harrier - 1 Bald Eagle - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Swainson's Hawk - 1 American Coot - 390 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Lesser Yellowlegs - 22 Long-billed Dowitcher - 3 Bonaparte's Gull - 36 Franklin's Gull - 42 Ring-billed Gull - 185 Rock Pigeon - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Black-billed Magpie - 7 American Crow - 24 Common Raven - 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 American Robin - 2 European Starling - 10000 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Dark-eyed Junco - 5 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Red-winged Blackbird - 8 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 Western Meadowlark - 2 Brewer's Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 10 American Goldfinch - 1 House Sparrow - 20 TOTAL: 54 species Howard Heffler" Thanks so much, Dan and Cindy, for driving Darlene and myself there and back! We both greatly appreciated it!

Yesterday, 27 September 2015, I joined friends on a most enjoyable day of birding east of the city. Below, I have added Howard Heffler's report of the day's sightings, adding that, as usual, there were some species that I didn't see myself. We were all delighted to see a huge swarm of Greater White-fronted Geese fly over the wetland at Marsland Basin. In the far distance, we could see a second huge gathering of them, but these didn't fly towards us. People were seeing several Snow Geese mixed in with the flock seen in my photo, but I only spotted them when I got the photo on my computer. I can see four of them towards the left side of the photo, above the right hand edge of the red/purplish bushes. "Breeding across the tundra from Nunavut to Siberia, across Russia, and in Greenland, the Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world. In North America, however, it is common only west of the Mississippi River, where it is found in large flocks in wetlands and croplands." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_White-fronted_Goose/l... "It is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill. Even more distinctive are the salt-and-pepper markings on the breast of adult birds, which is why the goose is colloquially called the "specklebelly" in North America." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_white-fronted_goose It was also nice to see one of the four Badgers in the family that lives on a property adjacent to our friend Lyn's land. On a previous visit, I had been lucky enough to see three of these Badgers. These are so rarely seen. "We had 12 people show up for a beautiful day to explore the sloughs east of Calgary. This included a lovely young family visiting from Lac la Biche. It was a bit chilly for the first two stops at the slough on Glenmore Trail and RR 284 and at Chestermere Lake. We then went directly to Marsland Basin when we spent much of our time. Although Lynn and Sue were not at home, we explored their property and listed 38 bird species and had a good look at one member of the badger family that lives on the adjacent property. By now the sun was up, we were all warm and there were a few passerines to add to the waterfowl. A highlight was an estimated 5000 Greater White-fronted Geese flying over. From there we went to the south side of Eagle Lake where we saw a distant murmuration of an (estimated) 10,000 European Starlings. Even from a distance this is a moving sight. Cattleland Slough did not add anything new to the list so we headed for home. Thanks to everyone for their sharp eyes and to Andrew Hart for his listing skills on eBird. The list below includes birds seen by the group and includes birds seen while driving and even the Downy Woodpecker in the Carburn parking lot. The numbers reported are the (best guess) of totals from all sightings. Errors of omission or commission rest with the author…. Greater White-fronted Goose - 5000 Snow Goose - 8 Canada Goose - 100 Gadwall - 74 American Wigeon - 7 Mallard - 44 Blue-winged Teal - 4 Northern Shoveler - 22 Northern Pintail - 71 Green-winged Teal - 110 Canvasback - 8 Redhead - 6 Ring-necked Duck - 8 Lesser Scaup - 150 Bufflehead - 38 Common Goldeneye - 12 Barrow's Goldeneye - 4 Ruddy Duck - 24 Gray Partridge - 12 Horned Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 9 Northern Harrier - 1 Bald Eagle - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Swainson's Hawk - 1 American Coot - 390 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Lesser Yellowlegs - 22 Long-billed Dowitcher - 3 Bonaparte's Gull - 36 Franklin's Gull - 42 Ring-billed Gull - 185 Rock Pigeon - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Black-billed Magpie - 7 American Crow - 24 Common Raven - 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2 American Robin - 2 European Starling - 10000 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Dark-eyed Junco - 5 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Red-winged Blackbird - 8 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 Western Meadowlark - 2 Brewer's Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 10 American Goldfinch - 1 House Sparrow - 20 TOTAL: 54 species Howard Heffler" Thanks so much, Dan and Cindy, for driving Darlene and myself there and back! We both greatly appreciated it!

Thought I would take a quick break from posting photos recently taken in Waterton Lakes National Park and, instead, add three photos taken yesterday, east of the city. (Adding for my own record - this Kingbird photo is my main photo today, i.e., the very last photo uploaded. If you see the wetland scenic shot as my main image, then Flickr is playing tricks again, as it has done several times recently!). Just had this reply on the Help Forum: "For Your contacts that look at Your photostream the order of the photos depends on which order they choose. If they choose "date taken" they will see the photos in this order and not in the order "date uploaded". I didn't know you could change the order view on someone's else's photos. "An eye-catching bird with ashy gray and lemon-yellow plumage, the Western Kingbird is a familiar summertime sight in open habitats across western North America. This large flycatcher sallies out to capture flying insects from conspicuous perches on trees or utility lines, flashing a black tail with white edges. Western Kingbirds are aggressive and will scold and chase intruders (including Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels) with a snapping bill and flared crimson feathers they normally keep hidden under their gray crowns." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Kingbird/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_kingbird I remember seeing a very distant Western Kingbird quite a few years ago, but wasn't able to get a shot of it. Then, last July, I saw one in the Frank Lake area and managed to get a very poor photo. Yesterday, I was lucky to see a pair of these birds and this one sat for a second or two on an open branch. In and around Calgary, we get the Eastern Kingbird. A large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. The temperature yesterday was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven. We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki. 1. Canada Goose-7 2. Gadwall-150 3. Am. Wigeon-22 4. Mallard-7 5. Blue-winged Teal-150 6. Cinnamon Teal-30 7. Northern Shoveler-55 8. Northern Pintail-4 9. Green-winged Teal-5 10. Canvasback-1 11. Redhead-2 12. Lesser Scaup-24 13. Bufflehead-4 14. Ruddy Duck-1 f. 15. Am. White Pelican-1 16. Great Blue Heron-1 17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1 18. White-faced Ibis-22 19. Swainson’s Hawk-3 20, Red-tailed Hawk-2 21. American Coot-1 22. Killdeer-26 23. Black-necked Stilt-25 24. American Avocet-85 25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants. 26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “ 27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “ 28. Willet-8 29. Marbled Godwit-10 30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “ 31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26 32. Franklin’s Gull-800 33. Ring-billed Gull-3 34. California Gull-1 35. Forster’s Tern-2 36. Black Tern-2 37. Mourning Dove-3 38. Northern Flicker-1 39. Least Flycatcher-2 40. Western Kingbird-2 41. Eastern Kingbird-1 42. Warbling Vireo-1 43. Black-billed Magpie-8 44. Tree Swallow-10 45. Bank Swallow-7 46. Barn Swallow-2 47. House Wren-2 48. American Robin-10 49. European Starling-40 50. Yellow Warbler-2 51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1 52. Red-winged Blackbird-40 53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11 54. Common Grackle-12 55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3 56. Baltimore Oriole-2 57. House Sparrow-40 Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!

Thought I would take a quick break from posting photos recently taken in Waterton Lakes National Park and, instead, add three photos taken yesterday, east of the city. (Adding for my own record - the Western Kingbird photo I posted today is my main photo, i.e., the very last photo uploaded. If you see this wetland scenic shot as my main image, then Flickr is playing tricks again, as it has done several times recently!). Just had this reply on the Help Forum: "For Your contacts that look at Your photostream the order of the photos depends on which order they choose. If they choose "date taken" they will see the photos in this order and not in the order "date uploaded". I didn't know you could change the order view on someone's else's photos. Yesterday, 28 June 2015, a large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. This photo shows just a part of the wetland, but gives an idea of what we saw. The temperature yesterday was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven. We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki. 1. Canada Goose-7 2. Gadwall-150 3. Am. Wigeon-22 4. Mallard-7 5. Blue-winged Teal-150 6. Cinnamon Teal-30 7. Northern Shoveler-55 8. Northern Pintail-4 9. Green-winged Teal-5 10. Canvasback-1 11. Redhead-2 12. Lesser Scaup-24 13. Bufflehead-4 14. Ruddy Duck-1 f. 15. Am. White Pelican-1 16. Great Blue Heron-1 17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1 18. White-faced Ibis-22 19. Swainson’s Hawk-3 20, Red-tailed Hawk-2 21. American Coot-1 22. Killdeer-26 23. Black-necked Stilt-25 24. American Avocet-85 25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants. 26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “ 27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “ 28. Willet-8 29. Marbled Godwit-10 30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “ 31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26 32. Franklin’s Gull-800 33. Ring-billed Gull-3 34. California Gull-1 35. Forster’s Tern-2 36. Black Tern-2 37. Mourning Dove-3 38. Northern Flicker-1 39. Least Flycatcher-2 40. Western Kingbird-2 41. Eastern Kingbird-1 42. Warbling Vireo-1 43. Black-billed Magpie-8 44. Tree Swallow-10 45. Bank Swallow-7 46. Barn Swallow-2 47. House Wren-2 48. American Robin-10 49. European Starling-40 50. Yellow Warbler-2 51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1 52. Red-winged Blackbird-40 53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11 54. Common Grackle-12 55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3 56. Baltimore Oriole-2 57. House Sparrow-40 Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!

Thought I would take a quick break from posting photos recently taken in Waterton Lakes National Park and, instead, add three photos taken yesterday, east of the city. (Adding for my own record - the Western Kingbird photo I posted today is my main photo, i.e., the very last photo uploaded. If you see this cat shot as my main image, then Flickr is playing tricks again, as it has done several times recently!). Just had this reply on the Help Forum: "For Your contacts that look at Your photostream the order of the photos depends on which order they choose. If they choose "date taken" they will see the photos in this order and not in the order "date uploaded". I didn't know you could change the order view on someone's else's photos. A large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. The temperature yesterday was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven. Couldn't resist taking a few photos of Lyn's cat, who was out in the garden "stalking" a dead, dried up animal that looked rather like a baby Ground Squirrel. Not the best light, and my photos came out with a very unpleasant green cast that I couldn't completely get rid of. We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki. 1. Canada Goose-7 2. Gadwall-150 3. Am. Wigeon-22 4. Mallard-7 5. Blue-winged Teal-150 6. Cinnamon Teal-30 7. Northern Shoveler-55 8. Northern Pintail-4 9. Green-winged Teal-5 10. Canvasback-1 11. Redhead-2 12. Lesser Scaup-24 13. Bufflehead-4 14. Ruddy Duck-1 f. 15. Am. White Pelican-1 16. Great Blue Heron-1 17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1 18. White-faced Ibis-22 19. Swainson’s Hawk-3 20, Red-tailed Hawk-2 21. American Coot-1 22. Killdeer-26 23. Black-necked Stilt-25 24. American Avocet-85 25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants. 26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “ 27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “ 28. Willet-8 29. Marbled Godwit-10 30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “ 31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26 32. Franklin’s Gull-800 33. Ring-billed Gull-3 34. California Gull-1 35. Forster’s Tern-2 36. Black Tern-2 37. Mourning Dove-3 38. Northern Flicker-1 39. Least Flycatcher-2 40. Western Kingbird-2 41. Eastern Kingbird-1 42. Warbling Vireo-1 43. Black-billed Magpie-8 44. Tree Swallow-10 45. Bank Swallow-7 46. Barn Swallow-2 47. House Wren-2 48. American Robin-10 49. European Starling-40 50. Yellow Warbler-2 51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1 52. Red-winged Blackbird-40 53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11 54. Common Grackle-12 55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3 56. Baltimore Oriole-2 57. House Sparrow-40 Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!