Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: beak

What a huge storm we had last night - so much lightning and thunder and rain. After the serious hailstorm that hit the city the day before, and which I missed because I was out of the city photographing birds, I thought I would go for a short drive to my 'usual' area. There is a risk for a thunderstorm developing this afternoon and the same for tomorrow. Our temperature is only 17C as I type (at 11:15 am). How is it that this pair of Mountain Bluebirds is good at seeing and catching Tiger Moths? Two years ago, the male of this pair also caught a Tiger Moth and gave me the chance to take a shot or two (see in a comment box below). I have only ever once seen a Tiger moth species, and it was unlike the ones in these two photos. They really are beautiful. I wonder if they taste as good as they look : ) I am always thankful when the Bluebirds are active, though before too long, their babies will have fledged and all will have disappeared. I was happy to find a few different birds, including a family of Eastern Kingbirds, a Cedar Waxwing, a Bald Eagle, Red-winged Blackbird, and a very distant Great Blue Heron standing at the far edge of a pond.

This is my main photo today. I just desperately needed something to remind me of spring and summer today - yet another overcast, bitterly cold day, with lightly falling snow. It's not too far off noon and the temperature has warmed up to -19C (windchill -24C). 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... On 18 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city, checking out a few of my usual roads. Almost straight away, I spotted a beautiful Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence rail in a different area than I usually photograph Snipe. 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, but I was in awe! I think this was the first time I had ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post, and this close. 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 earlier, 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. Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' that 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.

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... The day before yesterday, on 20 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city again. This time, I was thrilled to bits to see two male Bobolinks and a female. I had driven backwards and forwards along the road where I had seen them a few days ago, with no luck. I gave up and, instead, spent some time photographing a beautiful pair of Mountain Bluebirds. After a while, I told myself it was time to leave the Bluebirds in peace and go and see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. I had literally climbed back into my car and pulled forward maybe six feet, when a bird flew to a fence post. It looked bigger than a Savannah Sparrow, so I was curious. Turned out to be a male Bobolink, who gave me the chance for a few quick shots before flying away. Unfortunately, the sun was not in a good direction. Time to go and photograph a Tree Swallow, female Red-winged Blackbird and a Snipe and then I returned to the pair of Bluebirds. This time, they had two brief visitors - a Brown-headed Cowbird and a tiny Savannah Sparrow, who insisted on trying to perch on the same fence post as the male Bluebird. It was kind of cute to see the two together. I always love to tsee the back view of a female Bluebird, with just little touches of blue showing in her feathers. After a while, I decided it really was time to head for home. While crossing the road to my car, I spotted a bird perched on top of a tree way down the road and discovered it was a Bobolink again. It spent a bit of time flying around with another male and a female, eventually flying to a fence post. I had never seen a female before, but recognized it from various photos I had seen online a few days ago. Females are a lot smaller than the males and very different colouring. Three quick photos and it was gone. One of the males stayed on a fence post for a little while, but I was looking into the sun and the light was horrible. All three birds took off across the field and stayed down in the grass and I knew this would be a good time to tear myself away and head happily for home. Normally, I don't get out this often, but I know that it won't be long before all the birds I saw today will have migrated. Also, this was the first day of summer, so I really wanted to spend a few hours outdoors.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Later: thought I would add a link here, to a video about two local friends (Don and Andrew Stiles, father and son) who have spent many years building bluebird boxes and monitoring Mountain Bluebirds. Inspiring to see the dedication these two men have for the preservation of this beautiful species of bird. calgary.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=678225&binId=1.120191... Yesterday evening, 18 June 2016, I went for a short drive SW of the city. I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots of a beautiful Wilson's Snipe, 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 (seen in this photo). 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, However, 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. 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...

I think I'm right in saying that this handsome male Mountain Bluebird caught a beautiful Tiger Moth : ) I would love to have seen the moth before it was caught - it would have made a gorgeous macro, of something I don't think I have ever seen before. 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... I have missed so many of the birding walks (and botany walks) this year, There is just one more birding walk left, this week - and I may not be able to make it - and then they come to an end till the end of August/beginning of September. I did manage to get out on the afternoon walk four days ago, on 12 June 2016, and it was very enjoyable, as was a stop at the Good Earth cafe afterwards : ) Will add our leaders' final list of species seen - thanks for a great walk Janet, Bernie and Stephen!: FFCPPSoc. Birding West end of South Glenmore Park, Calgary. 1:15-4:15 PM. Sun. June 12/16. Gusting West winds 30 - 40 Km/hr, 21 to 23C, Sunny skies. 1. Great Blue Heron - 1 2. Swainson's Hawk - 1 seen by BD pre-walk 3. Franklin's Gull - 60 4. Great Horned Owl - 2 juveniles 5. Downy Woodpecker - 4 (including pair seen at nest sight feeding young) 6. Eastern Phoebe - 2 7. Least Flycatcher - 4 heard 8. Red-eyed Vireo - 4 heard 9. American Crow - 7 10. Tree Swallow - 3 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2 including one flying into nest 12. White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 13. House Wren - 3 heard 14. American Robin - 1 15. Veery - 2 heard 16. Cedar Waxwing - 3 17. Yellow Warbler - 6 (5 heard, 1 seen) 18. Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 heard 19. Clay-coloured Sparrow - 4 20. White-throated Sparrow - 2 heard 21. Red-winged Blackbird - 13 22. Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 23. American Goldfinch - 4 24. House Sparrow - 1 White-tailed Deer - 1 Least Chipmunk - 1 Red Squirrel - 1 Swallow-tailed Butterfly - 8 As usual on our birding walks, I take very few photos, so after this walk, I decided I would drive to a wetland in SW Calgary to check on the Red-necked Grebes. The light was harsh and I had to look into the sun and couldn't even tell if there were any babies. Obviously the wrong time of day to go there. From there, I decided to go SW of the city and check on Bluebirds, Snipe and maybe even a Great Gray Owl if I was very lucky. Only stopped at one Bluebird box and the parents were busy bringing insects to feed their babies. Every now and then, a baby would peer out of the small hole, so I know it won't be long till they fledge. I love the moth that Dad caught in this photo. An American Robin flew to the fence post next to the male Bluebird at one point, as if to ask for its photo to be taken, too. What a sight to see the two birds together - brilliant blue and bright red. Driving along one road to search for an owl, I noticed a truck pulled over in the distance. I always slow right down when I see a vehicle stopped, just in case it is a photographer taking photos of something interesting. I never want to spook a bird or animal and spoil a photographer's fun. I was so focused on the truck, looking to see if there was a driver pointing a camera, that at first I didn't notice the person standing the other side of the road OR the owl sitting on the fence! When I realized it was a friend, I pulled over, got out and took a few photos. I don't know if this was one of the two Great Grays that I had seen within the last 10 days or so. It is possible either way. Also spotted two distant Bobolinks chasing each other and then disappearing - no chance for a photo. That is, until yesterday evening! I was SO thrilled to find them (maybe 5?)! These birds are rare in Alberta and are much sought after by birders. I was unable to go and check on the Bluebirds the previous evening, as I had dropped off my car ready to be serviced yesterday. I collected it in time - $1,300 later! - to go for a drive. So glad I went, as luck and timing were both on my side. The Bobolinks were on the far side of the road and I managed to get just a few distant, poor shots before a truck came along and off they flew. I drove down the road and turned around, hoping to see them again, but they didn't reappear. I posted one shot this morning and will post a second, slightly better photo soon. I was just happy to get any kind of photo as a record of this special sighting. I'll add a previously posted photo of one I was lucky enough to see two years ago, on 27 June 2014, in a comment box below.

Four days ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. When I read where this year's outing was going to be, I was so excited and registered immediately and, apparently, was the first person on the list : ) I believe there were 66 people on the trip, enjoying a great day. The sun was shining and the temperature got up to around 25C - too warm for me and for many others, especially when the whole day is spent outdoors. It was a very early start, with my alarm clocks set for 4:30 am. Unfortunately, they had also been set for 4:30 am the previous day, when I went on a Bio-blitz to the Square Butte Ranch. Being a dreadful 'night owl', this meant that I ended up doing these two trips on about 5 hours sleep total over the two nights. Not good! It is such a treat to go somewhere by bus - everyone can relax and chat. Some of the $50 charge per person went towards a donation to the Ellis Bird Farm (and to the JJ Collett natural area), which was good to know. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm takes about an hour and a half. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! One of the highlights was seeing the Purple Martin condominium-style nest boxes. These birds are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." We started off by watching a very touching old video about Charlie Ellis - what a delightful, very shy, modest man he was. ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ After the video, we were divided into two large groups and then further divided again. Not easy to organize such a large number of people and it was rather confusing, Have to admit that I ended up, like varous friends, wandering around, taking photos. I always prefer to be free to do this, as there is a lot of information on the Internet, which can be read before and after such a visit. "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html Following our visit to the Farm, we boarded the two buses and were driven about half an hour's drive away, to the JJ Collett natural area, where the amazing Dr. Charles (Charlie) Bird took us on a walk (longer and faster paced than we were expecting, ha) along one of the trails. This is an interesting place to visit - will have to add information about it when I eventually post an image or two taken there. www.jjcollett.com/ Not sure what time we got back to the meeting place in Calgary - around 5:15 pm? I sat in my car and gulped down a mug of black coffee before driving for maybe 45 minutes to the far side of the city. My vehicle had been sitting in the sun all day and my coffee was as hot as if freshly made! Thank you, Nature Calgary and Leslie, for organizing this special day trip for us! Very successful and greatly enjoyed! Kate, thank you for your company on the drive there and back - made the time go faster and was so enjoyable.

R.I.P. Prince - a sad loss to the world of music and philanthropy. This morning, 21 April 2016, I needed a bright, cheery photo, not because the sun isn't shining, but for a totally different reason. My daughter was out with her Dad (in his car) yesterday, when they were rear-ended by a large truck. Insurance has said that the car is a write-off. Both seem to be OK - the blown-out back window and crumpling of the whole of the back of the car maybe acted as a shock-absorber. This is the last thing my daughter needed, as she has been through a lot the last 15 months, ever since her sister died. She has been in a lot of pain, twice in hospital (the second time for surgery), now waiting for major surgery. She and I haven't been outside Calgary together for a few months because she has to avoid any bumpy roads. She also had to move to a new place the other week. And now this! Apparently, they were stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk to allow an elderly man to cross the road. The truck driver said he was ON HIS BLUETOOTH and had looked down for TWO SECONDS!! People, DON'T use your cellphone or GPS or whatever when you are DRIVING! Makes me so mad. Distracted Driving Law in Effect - NEW Effective January 1, 2016 the penalty for distracted driving in Alberta will be a $287 fine and three demerit points. Any charges or convictions laid before January 1, 2016 will result in a $287 fine but no demerit points (regardless of whether the ticket is paid before or after January 1). The law applies to all motor vehicles as defined by the Traffic Safety Act. It restricts drivers from: using hand-held cell phones texting or e-mailing (even when stopped at red lights) using electronic devices like laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players (e.g., MP3 players) entering information on GPS units reading printed materials in the vehicle writing, printing or sketching personal grooming (brushing and flossing teeth, putting on makeup, curling hair, clipping nails or shaving) The law applies to all roads in Alberta. Needless to say, many people are completely ignoring the above - and getting away with it! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A photo from my archives - 6 June 2015. On that day, my place was beginning to get uncomfortably warm inside. That meant I needed air-conditioning and the only place to find it was in my car. So, off I went along the backroads SW of the city. I wasn't expecting to see anything different, but there were certain birds that I was certain I would see - birds that I really enjoy photographing. This drive is just a fairly short drive and fits nicely into an afternoon or early evening. So far, this year, I have only seen a handful of Bluebirds and they have all been a long way off. The "usual" included Mountain Bluebirds, and this male obliged, bringing food for his babies. It seemed that Dad would bring the larger, heavier insects, especially Grasshoppers, while Mom tended to choose lighter, more delicate ones. Funny how the nearby Tree Swallows would sometimes "tease" their Bluebird neighbours by flying and landing very near the Bluebird nesting box. Out of nowhere, the brilliant flash of blue of the male flew at top speed to chase the Tree Swallows away. On this particular day, I noticed the female Bluebird landed just a couple of feet from the Tree Swallow nesting box and just sat there with a Swallow on either side of her. No idea why she did this, as it annoyed the Swallows, and of course she was chased away. 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... Other sightings on my drive included the usual Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black Terns, a pair of Cinnamon Teal glowing in the bright sunlight, a distant Coot feeding her little ones, a Pied-billed Grebe who was annoying an adult Coot who kept racing across the top of the water to chase the Grebe further away. My final sighting was a Coyote in a field of Dandelions. By the time I had pulled over and raised my camera, it was already heading off in the opposite direction, stopping once to look back, as Coyotes tend to do. I almost forgot to mention the highlight of my drive! Not far from home, I noticed a Canada Goose in the distance, standing in the grasses right at the edge of the road. I thought it might just step out in front of me, so I stopped in my lane and turned on my hazard flashers. Sure enough, it did exactly what I was suspecting - and it was followed by its family of half a dozen or so goslings walking in a very disciplined single file, with Mom/Dad bringing up the rear. Fortunately, the cars coming behind me in the other lane also slowed down and stopped till everyone was safely to the other side. May sound silly, but I find it such an amazing, humbling experience when this happens : )

Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans, with an extra wish for safety to those who are serving their country overseas! Now, if only I could say that I took this close shot of a Bald Eagle in the wild! However, as you probably already guessed, it was at the Calgary Zoo. I think of photos like this one, though, when I'm watching an Eagle flying or perched in a tall tree the far side of the Bow River. So incredible.

There are three American White Pelicans at the Calgary Zoo, this male and two females. They swim on a small pond and share the outdoor, wooded area with Deer, ducks and Wild Turkeys. Really a lovely little area for them. I do see Pelicans in the wild, but often at a great distance, except for down near the Bow River Weir in the city.

I know this is "just" a Canada Goose, but I love taking photos of these birds. Yesterday, at the Zoo, this male was standing his ground on the path in the Canadian Wilds area, and if someone happened to get a little too close for his liking, he hissed and hissed. I should add that no, he wasn't hissing at me, as I kept at just the right distance from him. What many people didn't realize was that his mate was up on a low roof just a few feet away, busy moving leaves and branches to make her nest. He was just being a good, protective partner : ) Because he was standing right in the middle of the narrow path, there wasn't much room to pass by him and it was easy for people to get a little too close for his liking. Thought it was interesting to see his tongue. The bill has lamellae, or teeth around the outside that are used as a cutting tool. You might just get to see another photo of him sometime - I took far too many shots, LOL.

Not seen in the wild and not even seen at the Zoo this time. Instead, I got the chance to see and photograph (and stroke, awww) this 7-year-old male Barred Owl at a meeting I went to eight days ago. I've never seen a Barred Owl in the wild, but I do enjoy seeing the two at the Calgary Zoo. This owl was injured (damaged eye that he can't see out of), so was never able to be released. He makes a great Ambassador, though : )

Freely wandering around at the Zoo, this male Mallard gave me a chance to see inside a duck's bill. "The mallard has what you might call a typical duck's bill. The bill isn't very long, but it's not very short, either. It's not overly wide, nor overly narrow. It's a very versatile bill because it lets the mallard eat a wide assortment of plants and animals, from microscopic plant seeds to snails and acorns. Wildlife biologists consider mallards to be "gen-eralist feeders." That means they'll eat whatever food is available. Although mallards sometimes eat insects, plankton and even snails, more than 90 percent of a mallard's diet comes from plants, They mostly eat wetland plants, but they'll also consume land plants, including grasses and crop plants like wheat, barley, rice, oats and peanuts. If you look closely, you can see a kind of serrated fringe along a mallard's bill. This uneven edge not only allows it to grip food more securely, but it also strains tiny plants and animals from water or mud." From mdc.mo.gov/kids/out-in/2004.

Yet another Pelican photo that I took last year. Still got several more to go! I ended up with 100 OK images but I won't bore you with ALL of them, LOL!