Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: utility pole

On 11 July 2019, it turned out to be such a great day, with some much-appreciated sightings. I must have spent about 9 hours driving and almost every inch of my body ached like crazy at the end of it. Total distance driven was 461 km, leaving home at 8:45 am and arriving back home 12 hours later, at 8:45 pm. Now, each summer, I try and do two or three longer (for me) drives, to make sure I don't lose the courage to do this. Weather-wise, it was a beautiful, sunny day, with plenty of white clouds Unlike when I did this drive in August 2018, there was no smoke from any wildfires, thank goodness. It was a good day for Hawks, seeing some on the way south and a few on the way home. I did spot one Ferruginous Hawk, but it was perched on a very distant fence post. I'm also wondering if one of the 'hawks' was actually an immature Golden Eagle - seen in photo #4 posted this morning. (Yes, it IS a Golden Eagle!) I saw it from a fair distance and I remember thinking what a large hawk it was. Stopping at an angle in the middle of the road, I managed to get one shot before it took off and a couple just as it was doing so. A couple of Common Nighthawks also helped make my day. For several years, I had longed to see one of these unusual birds and, finally in 2017, I managed to find four of them. In 2018, I was able to find just one. These birds are 9½ inches from the tip of bill to the tip of tail. Very strange looking birds, and always a thrill to see one. "On warm summer evenings, Common Nighthawks roam the skies over treetops, grasslands, and cities. Their sharp, electric peent call is often the first clue they’re overhead. In the dim half-light, these long-winged birds fly in graceful loops, flashing white patches out past the bend of each wing as they chase insects. These fairly common but declining birds make no nest. Their young are so well camouflaged that they’re hard to find, and even the adults seem to vanish as soon as they land." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Nighthawk/id "North America has 13 nighthawk populations. All but one are in decline and the species is considered threatened in Canada and several U.S. states." www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/little-backpacks-gps-used-to-trac... My actual destination on 11 July 2019 was the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where a photo was taken. This Centre is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures,and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too. I love the changing scenery as one drives south, and my drive was timed perfectly to catch the golden Canola fields. Maybe half way, I pulled over to take a few photos of an old barn and there was a truck just pulling away. I thought the guy might have been taking photos, too. We got talking and one of the things we both said was that we had never seen a blue field of Flax Later in my drive, guess what I found : ) Looked beautiful, with blue on one side of the road and a field of yellow Canola on the opposite side. This was definitely a rewarding day, full of sightings of all kinds. My favourite kind of day!

This morning, I decided to edit and post, in one fell swoop, all of the photos that were taken on 25 June 2019, during a walk at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park. I don't usually do any evening walks, but all our birding walks have come to an end until the next session starts, towards the end of summer. As usual, I have missed most of the walks from the session that has just finished. Burnsmead is quite a good place for birds and I don't have to drive across the city to get there. I do find the walk, for me, is a bit too far, and a few of us chose to leave before the end. We lucked out with the weather, fortunately. Glad we weren't out two evenings later, when we had a huge storm that resulted in a lot of flooding in the city and around Southern Alberta. Some people had a lot of hail, too. One of the highlights for me was seeing an Osprey land on a distant, tall utility pole, with a fish in its talons. We also enjoyed watching a pair of tiny Yellow Warblers collecting delicate insects to feed their babies. These brightly coloured birds are so small and so fast and, needless to say, not easy to photograph! We were surprised to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched on a fence near the path. I've only ever "seen" a handful and always in rapid flight overhead. This one just sat there and gave us the chance to take photos. I don't get out enough to search for wildflowers, so it was also nice to come across a few species in the park. Thanks, Anne B, for organizing and leading the walk. Even more appreciated as there are no more morning walks available for now.

This morning, I decided to edit and post, in one fell swoop, all of the photos that were taken on 25 June 2019, during a walk at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park. I don't usually do any evening walks, but all our birding walks have come to an end until the next session starts, towards the end of summer. As usual, I have missed most of the walks from the session that has just finished. Burnsmead is quite a good place for birds and I don't have to drive across the city to get there. I do find the walk, for me, is a bit too far, and a few of us chose to leave before the end. We lucked out with the weather, fortunately. Glad we weren't out two evenings later, when we had a huge storm that resulted in a lot of flooding in the city and around Southern Alberta. Some people had a lot of hail, too. One of the highlights for me was seeing an Osprey land on a distant, tall utility pole, with a fish in its talons. We also enjoyed watching a pair of tiny Yellow Warblers collecting delicate insects to feed their babies. These brightly coloured birds are so small and so fast and, needless to say, not easy to photograph! We were surprised to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched on a fence near the path. I've only ever "seen" a handful and always in rapid flight overhead. This one just sat there and gave us the chance to take photos. I don't get out enough to search for wildflowers, so it was also nice to come across a few species in the park. Thanks, Anne B, for organizing and leading the walk. Even more appreciated as there are no more morning walks available for now.

This morning, I decided to edit and post, in one fell swoop, all of the photos that were taken on 25 June 2019, during a walk at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park. I don't usually do any evening walks, but all our birding walks have come to an end until the next session starts, towards the end of summer. As usual, I have missed most of the walks from the session that has just finished. Burnsmead is quite a good place for birds and I don't have to drive across the city to get there. I do find the walk, for me, is a bit too far, and a few of us chose to leave before the end. We lucked out with the weather, fortunately. Glad we weren't out two evenings later, when we had a huge storm that resulted in a lot of flooding in the city and around Southern Alberta. Some people had a lot of hail, too. One of the highlights for me was seeing an Osprey land on a distant, tall utility pole, with a fish in its talons. We also enjoyed watching a pair of tiny Yellow Warblers collecting delicate insects to feed their babies. These brightly coloured birds are so small and so fast and, needless to say, not easy to photograph! We were surprised to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched on a fence near the path. I've only ever "seen" a handful and always in rapid flight overhead. This one just sat there and gave us the chance to take photos. I don't get out enough to search for wildflowers, so it was also nice to come across a few species in the park. Thanks, Anne B, for organizing and leading the walk. Even more appreciated as there are no more morning walks available for now.

This morning, I decided to edit and post, in one fell swoop, all of the photos that were taken on 25 June 2019, during a walk at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park. I don't usually do any evening walks, but all our birding walks have come to an end until the next session starts, towards the end of summer. As usual, I have missed most of the walks from the session that has just finished. Burnsmead is quite a good place for birds and I don't have to drive across the city to get there. I do find the walk, for me, is a bit too far, and a few of us chose to leave before the end. We lucked out with the weather, fortunately. Glad we weren't out two evenings later, when we had a huge storm that resulted in a lot of flooding in the city and around Southern Alberta. Some people had a lot of hail, too. One of the highlights for me was seeing an Osprey land on a distant, tall utility pole, with a fish in its talons. We also enjoyed watching a pair of tiny Yellow Warblers collecting delicate insects to feed their babies. These brightly coloured birds are so small and so fast and, needless to say, not easy to photograph! We were surprised to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched on a fence near the path. I've only ever "seen" a handful and always in rapid flight overhead. This one just sat there and gave us the chance to take photos. I don't get out enough to search for wildflowers, so it was also nice to come across a few species in the park. Thanks, Anne B, for organizing and leading the walk. Even more appreciated as there are no more morning walks available for now.

Just added the final 23 images taken on DAY 8, 26 March 2019, at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, South Texas. Too many problems with uploading today - usually, photos upload quickly and without issues for me. Sorry, so many blurry photos in this batch, but a lot of things were far away, or taken on a drive-by, or, in the case of this amazing little owl, taken in the evening just when it was getting/got dark and from a long way off. We had been told about this pair and after spending a few hours at the Santa Ana NWR, we made the drive to this special, undisclosed location. This was such a huge thrill, to see a pair of the smallest owls in the world, the Elf Owl. When we arrived, it was beginning to get dark. This owl was already in its cavity and then its mate flew to it, and then both owls flew off into the trees. "The elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is a member of the owl family Strigidae, that breeds in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is the world's lightest owl, although the long-whiskered owlet and the Tamaulipas pygmy owl are of a similarly diminutive length.[2] It is also the world's smallest owl.[3] The mean body weight of this species is 40 g (1.4 oz). These tiny owls are 12.5 to 14.5 cm (4.9 to 5.7 in) long and have a wingspan of about 27 cm (10.5 in).[4] Their primary projection (flight feather) extends nearly past their tail. They have fairly long legs and often appear bow-legged. They can often be heard calling to one another just after dusk or at sunset. Their call is a high-pitched whinny or chuckle. The male and female dart around trees and call back and forth. Elf owls usually choose abandoned, north-facing woodpecker cavities in saguaro cacti, sycamores, cottonwoods, and other hardwood trees, to raise their young. During dusk and just before dawn are the times this owl is most active, however, hunting is performed mostly during nocturnal hours. The Elf Owl migrates to the southwest United States; California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, in the spring and summer for breeding. In the winter, it is found in central and southern Mexico. Migrant elf owls return north in mid-April to early May. Resident populations occur in a couple of places in south central Mexico and along the Baja peninsula." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_owl

Four of these photos were taken on Saturday, 23 February 2019, during the annual Snowy Owl Prowl, east of the city. I was so tempted to cancel when the forecast was for bitterly cold and snowy weather, with a wind that made it feel much colder! Amazingly, the snow stopped just before it was time for me to leave home that morning, but the frigid weather stayed with us all day. We managed to find five Snowy Owls, but this was the only remotely close one that I got a sharp enough photo of. My other photos, taken from inside the car in which I was travelling, from the far side, were totally blurry. This so often happens when I take photos from inside a vehicle. The last owl we saw was actually going to be on my side of the road when we did a U-turn and headed back, which would have been wonderful, but for some reason, we drove straight past, leaving everyone else to photograph it! Of course, it was great to see these owls, but photo-wise, very disappointing. It was definitely a Snow Bunting day, though! An estimated 6,000 of them in total. They are so beautiful when seen in flight. The car in which I was riding was the leading car, and we missed the Horned Larks and Gray Partridge. "21 brave participants ventured out on a very cold and windy day to trek east of Calgary to find Snowy Owls. Even with the bitterly cold conditions, the birds did not disappoint. We found 5 Snowy Owls throughout the day, but the highlight was seeing over 6000 snow buntings amongst 8 different flocks throughout the day. The largest flock we saw was about 1800 birds, which was a mixed flock with about 200 Horned Larks. The buntings must be migrating north! All and all a great day! Saturday February 23, 2019 10am-4pm -17C, Wind N20-29KM/Hr 21 participants 1075 Canada Geese 12 Gray Partridge 90 Rock Pigeon 1 Great Horned Owl (being chased through trees by Ravens) 5 Snowy Owls - all males, 4 1st year, 1 adult 6 Black-billed Magpie 10 Common Raven 205 Horned Lark - 200 were in a mixed flock with Snow Buntings 40 Common Redpoll 6000 8 different flocks over the day; 1600, 1600, 400, 100, 300, 300, 1000, 1000 Melanie"

Four of these photos were taken on Saturday, 23 February 2019, during the annual Snowy Owl Prowl, east of the city. I was so tempted to cancel when the forecast was for bitterly cold and snowy weather, with a wind that made it feel much colder! Amazingly, the snow stopped just before it was time for me to leave home that morning, but the frigid weather stayed with us all day. We managed to find five Snowy Owls, but this was the only remotely close one that I got a sharp enough photo of. My other photos, taken from inside the car in which I was travelling, from the far side, were totally blurry. This so often happens when I take photos from inside a vehicle. The last owl we saw was actually going to be on my side of the road when we did a U-turn and headed back, which would have been wonderful, but for some reason, we drove straight past, leaving everyone else to photograph it! Of course, it was great to see these owls, but photo-wise, very disappointing. It was definitely a Snow Bunting day, though! An estimated 6,000 of them in total. They are so beautiful when seen in flight. The car in which I was riding was the leading car, and we missed the Horned Larks and Gray Partridge. "21 brave participants ventured out on a very cold and windy day to trek east of Calgary to find Snowy Owls. Even with the bitterly cold conditions, the birds did not disappoint. We found 5 Snowy Owls throughout the day, but the highlight was seeing over 6000 snow buntings amongst 8 different flocks throughout the day. The largest flocks we saw was about 1800 birds, which was a mixed flock with about 200 Horned Larks. The buntings must be migrating north! All and all a great day! Saturday February 23, 2019 10am-4pm -17C, Wind N20-29KM/Hr 21 participants 1075 Canada Geese 12 Gray Partridge 90 Rock Pigeon 1 Great Horned Owl (being chased through trees by Ravens) 5 Snowy Owls - all males, 4 1st year, 1 adult 6 Black-billed Magpie 10 Common Raven 205 Horned Lark - 200 were in a mixed flock with Snow Buntings 40 Common Redpoll 6000 8 different flocks over the day; 1600, 1600, 400, 100, 300, 300, 1000, 1000 Melanie"

Four of these photos were taken on Saturday, 23 February 2019, during the annual Snowy Owl Prowl, east of the city. I was so tempted to cancel when the forecast was for bitterly cold and snowy weather, with a wind that made it feel much colder! Amazingly, the snow stopped just before it was time for me to leave home that morning, but the frigid weather stayed with us all day. We managed to find five Snowy Owls, but this was the only remotely close one that I got a sharp enough photo of. My other photos, taken from inside the car in which I was travelling, from the far side, were totally blurry. This so often happens when I take photos from inside a vehicle. The last owl we saw was actually going to be on my side of the road when we did a U-turn and headed back, which would have been wonderful, but for some reason, we drove straight past, leaving everyone else to photograph it! Of course, it was great to see these owls, but photo-wise, very disappointing. It was definitely a Snow Bunting day, though! An estimated 6,000 of them in total. They are so beautiful when seen in flight. The car in which I was riding was the leading car, and we missed the Horned Larks and Gray Partridge. "21 brave participants ventured out on a very cold and windy day to trek east of Calgary to find Snowy Owls. Even with the bitterly cold conditions, the birds did not disappoint. We found 5 Snowy Owls throughout the day, but the highlight was seeing over 6000 snow buntings amongst 8 different flocks throughout the day. The largest flocks we saw was about 1800 birds, which was a mixed flock with about 200 Horned Larks. The buntings must be migrating north! All and all a great day! Saturday February 23, 2019 10am-4pm -17C, Wind N20-29KM/Hr 21 participants 1075 Canada Geese 12 Gray Partridge 90 Rock Pigeon 1 Great Horned Owl (being chased through trees by Ravens) 5 Snowy Owls - all males, 4 1st year, 1 adult 6 Black-billed Magpie 10 Common Raven 205 Horned Lark - 200 were in a mixed flock with Snow Buntings 40 Common Redpoll 6000 8 different flocks over the day; 1600, 1600, 400, 100, 300, 300, 1000, 1000 Melanie"

On 24 March 2018, I went with a group of about 20 fellow-birders for a day of birding west of the city. Not the greatest weather and there was not a huge variety of bird species. However, it was great to be out in beautiful mountain scenery. Places we stopped at included Seebe Dam, where we saw several Trumpeter Swans and a pair of Bald Eagles; Exshaw; Harvey Heights; Canmore town, where we saw a Pileated Woodpecker; and we also walked the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk Trail in Canmore. Thanks, Andrew, for a very enjoyable day out. Thanks so much, Anne B, for driving two of us all day - greatly appreciated!

On 24 March 2018, I went with a group of about 20 fellow-birders for a day of birding west of the city. Not the greatest weather and there was not a huge variety of bird species. However, it was great to be out in beautiful mountain scenery. Places we stopped at included Seebe Dam, where we saw several Trumpeter Swans and a pair of Bald Eagles; Exshaw; Harvey Heights; Canmore town, where we saw a Pileated Woodpecker; and we also walked the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk Trail in Canmore. Thanks, Andrew, for a very enjoyable day out. Thanks so much, Anne B, for driving two of us all day - greatly appreciated!

This photo was taken on 19 March 2017, our last but one day on the island of Trinidad. On that day, we hiked to see the unusual Oilbirds in the morning and then we went to the Caroni Swamp in the afternoon and evening. We were lucky enough to see this Saffron Finch on the way to the Swamp, where we were going on a boat to see the Scarlet Ibis arriving to roost. In fact, we saw this Finch just three minutes after seeing the Red-breasted Meadowlark that I posted yesterday. "The saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola) is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. Although commonly regarded as a canary, it is not related to the Atlantic canary. The male is bright yellow with an orange crown which distinguishes it from most other yellow finches (the exception being the orange-fronted yellow finch). The females are more confusing and are usually just a slightly duller version of the male, but in the southern subspecies S. f. pelzelni they are olive-brown with heavy dark streaks. Typically nesting in cavities, the saffron finch makes use of sites such as abandoned rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus) nests, bamboo branches and under house roofs - this species is tolerant of human proximity, appearing at suburban areas and frequenting bird tables. They have a pleasant but repetitious song which, combined with their appearance, has led to them being kept as caged birds in many areas. Males are polygamous, mating with two females during the nesting season, and territorial, which has led to the species being used for blood sporting with two males put in a cage in order to fight." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron_finch At the Swamp, my six friends and I were privileged to be able to watch the arrival of huge flocks of amazing Scarlet Ibis flying in to roost. Will add this YouTube link (not my video) to give an idea of what our boat ride was like - including the large snake curled up in a tree over our heads! youtu.be/vV9XvW2JSVE This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my dear friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous. The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way. I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure. This is a video that I came across on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it. youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015. youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

When I think of all the beautiful variety of trees in a rain forest, this tiny, female Hummingbird has built her nest towards the top of a very high utility pole. And there she sits : ) Her nest even matches the colour of the surrounding metal pole and insulator, giving further camouflage. Needless to say, we would never have noticed her without our Guide's help! "Occurring throughout the tropics of South America from Panama to northeast Argentina, the Black-throated Mango is the most widespread member of its genus. It is primarily found in open vegetation with bushes and scattered trees in many kinds of humid and dry habitats. Within its large range, the Black-throated Mango is fairly distinctive being the only predominantly green hummingbird with extensive black throat and underparts." From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Neotropical Birds. neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p... This outing was on our second day on the island of Tobago, 14 March 2017, and we were taken to the Main Ridge Forest Reserve via the Roxborough-Parlatuvier Rd. Our guide was Gladwyn James, whose father is a renowned ornithologist on the island. Sadly, he is now retired. One of the roads we drove along was named "James Path" after his father - I do have a photo of Gladwyn standing by the road sign, that I will post another day. I hope to add an extra bit of information about each photo to the very simple, basic description. Right now, I'm still trying to work out where I was and when, lol! We left Calgary on 12 March 2017 and arrived back home in the evening of 21 March 2017. I was totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary, with lots of waiting in between. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together, spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. The Asa Wright Nature Centre on the much larger island of Trinidad is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road took just over an hour each way. I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a huge variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

This is a poor quality photo I managed to take out of the car window, trying to capture the owl that was way down the road. Better than nothing, though, especially as I just haven't been able to get out more than a few times to look for anything this winter. So often when I've seen a Snowy Owl, it is a small, white speck either perched on a distant fence post or sitting on the ground in a snow-covered field. Power poles and insulators are definitely not the desired setting, but I'll take whatever I can get : ) The last two years, especially, I've probably only seen a couple of close owls. On 25 January 2017, I had such a great day, spent with friend, Phil. We drove the main roads and zig-zagged along the back roads SE of the city, hoping to find owls and any other birds that we might be lucky enough to see. Phil has an unusual ability to see things that are almost invisible to the naked eye; things that I know I would never spot if I was driving on my own. Amazing how some people can do this - and, of course, the rest of us always benefit from their ability. I was confident that we would see a Snowy Owl, but had no idea that we would see 11 of them by the end of the day! In the morning, there were few birds of any kind to be found, but thankfully, more gradually appeared as the day wore on. Birds for the day included the 11 Snowy Owls, 3 Rough-legged Hawks (one a very dark individual), 2 Prairie Falcons, quite a few Grey Partridge, and a beautiful, distant Bald Eagle down on the ground the far side of a field. It was bathed in beautiful sunset light, which showed the detail of each and every feather. Mammals for the day included a number of Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer, some of them surrounded by hoar-frosted stubble. We also saw a very distant Red Fox hunting, 3 Elk (which surprised both of us), and several Coyotes. Everywhere was covered in hoar frost, which lasted well into the day. The sky was amazing for a while, with just a narrow band of light between the earth and the thick cloud pattern above. I don't remember ever seeing greenish sky before, but part of the narrow band was green. No idea why. Thanks so much, Phil, for such a great day! A day of hoar frost and glorious cloud formation, beautiful landscape, and more than enough Snowy Owls to keep anyone happy. Perfect company, too, of course. Greatly appreciated!

Flickr is acting up again, 31 January 2017 - a problem today (for others as well as myself) with views and stats. Some people's images are not being seen, and consequently a much smaller number of views under each photo. There is always something not working correctly! It is being looked into by Flickr staff, apparently. Apart from the last two days, the last time I was lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds of prey was on 8 February 2016, just about a year ago. It was just the same thrill seeing this recent one yesterday and the day before! I am not disclosing the area, especially after what some photographers have been doing recently to get close photos of a Barred Owl. While most photographers are respectful of wildlife, there are always a few who will do anything to get a closer shot. "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_hawk_owl/lifehistory

It had been almost four years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this one on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220+ km round trip. I haven't seen any reports about this owl being seen for many weeks now. It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we got our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been fairly close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You just missed it!" - never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is what happened. "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_hawk_owl/lifehistory

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, everyone! It has been almost four years since many of us were fortunate enough to make visits to a family of Northern Hawk Owls, NW of Calgary. I was so thrilled to see this one on 8 February 2016, again NW of the city. It's a one and a half hour drive for me to get there, so not a drive I care to do very often - roughly 220 km round trip. Great to see a few familiar faces up there, too : ) It was like a spring day that day, sunny, pleasant and not cold. I really wanted to get over there before we get our next snowfall and it seemed a perfect day to go. There were three or four cars parked at the side of the road when I arrived at the area and everyone let me know that the owl had been close to the road just before I arrived, but had now disappeared way across a huge field. "You've just missed it!" are never words one wants to hear, lol! However, I was assured it would be back - and that is exactly what happened. "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_hawk_owl/lifehistory

I decided to drive NW of the city yesterday, 11 February 2016, to make a second visit to see if there was any sight of the Northern Hawk Owl. It looked like the three hours of driving round trip, plus driving several of the backroads nearby a few times, were going to be in vain. Sure, the sun was shining, the sky a deep blue and some of the scenery was beautiful, but, let's be honest, it would have been disappointing to not see any owls, of any species. After a great deal of patience, managed only because friend, Bonnie, had also decided to go there, we finally were in luck. At the time the owl was spotted by another photographer (thanks so much, Harshad!) who was further down the road from us, I had just said to Bonnie that I had spent enough time up there and really wanted to do the long drive home before it got dark, because of poor night vision. There were just the three of us when Harshad saw the owl on top of a distant tree. During the afternoon, though, various people came and went. No owl baiters turned up, thank goodness, unlike on my first visit. That day, one of the photographers who was already there got rid of them very quickly, as soon as they arrived. However, yesterday, apparently the owl was seen with a white rodent, so baiters are still getting the chance to bait with store-bought mice. This photo was obviously not taken in the best setting, but it still gives a good idea of what this owl looks like. I don't know why owls (including Snowy Owls) like perching on top of very tall utility poles. Presumably because they get such a good, clear view from up there, making it easier to spot prey, but also because they get used to owl baiters on the roads. Part way through my visit, I enjoyed such an interesting chat with someone who happened to be driving down one of the backroads in the opposite direction to me. Stirling Clark is a carpenter, who makes beautiful furniture (and other things) in the Finish style. He has 20+ years of experience with Finish carpentry, door and trim installation, built in custom cabinetry, hardwood floor installation, stairs and railings, outdoor decks, siding, renovations and new construction, and general carpentry. His (other) passion is photography, enjoying nature, landscapes and wildlife. He told me that he had a Northern Hawk Owl visit him at his carpentry workshop recently - quite a treat. A pleasure to meet you, Stirling! www.stirlingclark.ca/carpentry.html www.stirlingclark.ca/photography.html "The type of prey the Hawk-Owl catches will determine its eating strategy. For mammalian prey the ritual is generally the same: the Northern Hawk-Owl will eviscerate its prey, eats the head first (especially for prey like the red squirrel, whose head is fairly large), and then—when tackling larger prey—it will eat the organs and cache the remains; with smaller prey, the owl will simply swallow the body whole." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hawk-Owl "The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at a distance of up to 800 meters (half a mile). Though it is thought to detect prey primarily by sight, the Northern Hawk Owl can find and seize prey under 30 cm (1 foot) of snow." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_hawk_owl/lifehistory