Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: fence railing

This photo was taken on 25 August 2017, when I at last did a long-overdue drive east of the city. This is my least favourite direction in which to drive from the city and I have to say it stresses me out so much. Once I reach the back roads, I can relax a little, but I am always worried about getting lost. I saw this Swainson's Hawk early on in my drive, a fair distance away. For me, it made a good start to the day. If I remember correctly, it was a juvenile. Little did I know that later on, I would come across a young Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence post the far side of the back road I was on. Those were the best few minutes in my day, as it was content to sit there. Amazingly, not one single vehicle came along while I was there. It felt so good to get a few photos of a hawk in the wild, unlike the ones I had photographed fairly recently at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. I had really hoped I would see a perched hawk this day and that's all I needed to make me happy and feel that the drive was worthwhile. For the first time ever, and after having driven past the location other times, I stopped at Weed Lake (south end). Lots of birds, but most were really too far to photograph. Still, I was glad to see a Killdeer and a little Semipalmated Plover close enough to get a few shots.

UPDATE on the Waterton Lakes National Park wildfire, 14 September 2017: "WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK… We wish to remind the public that the Kenow Fire is still active in the area and within the park boundaries. Please note that the Evacuation Order is still in effect and the park remains closed to all incoming traffic except emergency vehicles and authorized personnel. Even though the townsite is not under immediate threat, there are risks due to the active fire nearby and ongoing fire operations. Community members should not attempt to return to the area until advised by Parks Canada Agency. The detailed assessment of infrastructure and facilities is underway and will be available as soon as it is completed. We will be providing additional information regarding the status of infrastructure around the townsite as soon as possible. In the coming weeks, Parks Canada will inform the public once it has determined whether the entry of community and business owners within the park is safe. The high intensity of the fire has severely impacted the landscape within the park. As a result, many areas will remain unsafe." From Government of Canada/Parks Canada. www.pc.gc.ca/apps/scond/cond_e.asp?oid=29287&opark=10... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hard to believe that I am sitting at my computer this morning, wearing a sweater, and the temperature only 6C! It rained again last night, which was a real blessing. We seem to have plunged straight from the awful heat of summer to winter. One more day, and we should get back to the mid-teens. Just come across a few photos of snow-covered Banff National Park! I'm so not ready for this!!! Best of all, though, is that Waterton Lakes National Park is receiving rain now, thank goodness. This, plus much colder temperatures, should help all the firefighters and others deal with the massive wildfire in the park. It sounds like 70% of the forest has burned. I read a comment by someone saying that Canyon Church Camp lodge was saved, but that the cabins burned. It will be good when a definite report eventually comes out. Foothills MP John Barlow had a chance to fly over the Kenow Wildfire at Waterton Lakes National Park yesterday, 13 September 2017 and will be posting a video soon. I have just come across an article by National Geographic - What Do Wild Animals Do in a Wildfire? news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140721-animals-w... This photo was taken on 25 August 2017, when I at last did a long-overdue drive east of the city. This is my least favourite direction in which to drive from the city and I have to say it stresses me out so much. Once I reach the back roads, I can relax a little, but I am always worried about getting lost. I saw this Swainson's Hawk early on in my drive, a fair distance away. For me, it made a good start to the day. If I remember correctly, it was a juvenile. Little did I know that later on, I would come across a young Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence post the far side of the back road I was on. Those were the best few minutes in my day, as it was content to sit there. Amazingly, not one single vehicle came along while I was there. It felt so good to get a few photos of a hawk in the wild, unlike the ones I photographed fairly recently at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. I had really hoped I would see a perched hawk this day and that's all I needed to make me happy and feel that the drive was worthwhile. For the first time ever, and after having driven past the location other times, I stopped at Weed Lake (south end). Lots of birds, but most were really too far to photograph. Still, I was glad to see a Killdeer and a little Semipalmated Plover close enough to get a few shots.

Yesterday, 20 May 2017, was a beautiful day, though the light was not always the greatest for photos. I was lucky enough to be invited to join four friends for a day out - lol, eventually, I will get time to get back to editing and posting more photos from Trinidad : ) Really, who needs Trinidad birds, though, when you can see such beautiful birds here in Alberta?! Part of the morning was spent at our friend, Barb's, acreage, SW of Calgary, enjoying the variety of birds that visit her garden. Thanks so much, Barb, as always, for letting us visit you. Such a joy to see birds like a handsome male Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Evening Grosbeaks. I so rarely get to see either of these birds. Always happy to see a Mountain Bluebird, too. In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i... We then drove the various roads SW of the city, as far south as Turner Valley, hoping to see a few birds. Beautiful scenery in the whole area. In Turner Valley, we called in to see another mutual friend and watch the birds that visited her tiny, but beautifully and thoughtfully designed, back deck. Thanks so much for having us, Jackie, especially at such very short notice!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Usually, when I post photos of a Wilson's Snipe, the background is clear. Yesterday evening, 18 June 2016, on a short drive SW of the city, I suddenly spotted this beautiful bird perched on a lichen-encrusted fence rail, The shrubs were right behind it and unfortunately, I ended up with a background that is somewhat blurry, and that does unpleasant things to my eyes : ) I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, I was in awe! Not sure if I've ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post before or this close (at least when zoomed in). I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days ago, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in the last two days. After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds (see the third photo I posted this morning). Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' yesterday evening, Soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home. "These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/id "Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military." youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q