Best of July 2025

July started off with a celebration of Canada Day. I went down to the Bow River, by the Skip-stone bridge and Saint Patrick's Island. It was a hot day, and lots of people were floating the Bow. The first picture is of a couple floating the Bow and the second is of the Calgary Fire Service water rescue crew - trying to keep everyone safe. The third and last picture from that day is of a young woman taking a selfie down by the water.

 

Later in the month the canola fields were in bloom and I went back out to the canola field of which I took a picture last month. So different now! I took quite a few pictures, but I think this one is the best. The power lines down the left give the field some depth.

Sticking with the no bird theme this month, I would like to finish off with a picture of a Police Car moth (which only makes sense if the police cars in your area are black and white) and a monochrome picture of some flowers in the back alley in Bridgeland.

Okay, three  birds from the middle of the month. The Gray Catbird is an unusual photo because you can see the red coverts under the tail. The Bald Eagle because it is what it is, and the pretty little Song Sparrow are also both worth some recycled electrons.

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Calgary Stampede Week 2025

On the morning of the Calgary Stampeded Parade I went for a walk to peer through the fences at the horses as they were being prepared for the parade. I was lucky enough to find the spot where the tack and harnesses were checked before the horses and their riders or wagons were allowed into the parade. I was the only person on the sidewalk and it was a great opportunity to view the horses in a quiet spot. This heavy horse picture is my favourite of the day. I love the 'feathers' of the fetlock and the hoof struck the pavemet.

This picture of the Rodeo Queens is also a favourite.  It is fun to note the attitude of the four horses. Two look like this is their first parade (eyes open, ears up and forward) and two look like they have been here many times (necks out, heads down, catching a few more winks). If you enlarge the picture, the queen on the front right is the Rodeo Queen of Australia; how about that!

The night before we had also walked by the holding area for the horses, checking them out. On the way home, the sun was streaming through the clouds and I took this picture from the zoo bridge.

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Best of June 2025

My favourite pictues of the month have family in them, and I won't be showing those. In June I had a wonderful trip to Minneapolis and leaned over the bridge on the Mississippi to take this early morning picture of a rower. The river was very calm that morning and you can see the path of the skip in the water and the paddle strokes.

Facing the other direction, I took this picture on the same morning. This pictures shows the skyline of the University of Minnesota. 

Although I didn't take my birding camera to Minneapolis I was lucky enough to take this picture of a Great Egret.

We had wonderful weather in Calgary for the month of June and the following three pictures highlight the weather on the last day of the month. These pictures were taken at the Carseland Dam and Johnson Island areas.

 

One of my favourite pictues of the month was of these granaries and the field. I need to go back when the crop is in bloom and follow the changes through the growing season.

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Best of May 2025

The month of May was wonderful in the City of Calgary and surrounding area. We had hot HOT weather and lots of opportunities to be outside. On the May long weekend, I spent time in Banff, Alberta at Tunnel Mountain. That weekend provides a couple of my favourite pictures for the month. The first is of Rundle Mountain that was taken from Vermillion Lakes.

 

The second pictue was taken on my phone after walking away from the spot. I wanted to share right away instead of waiting until I got home. This picture was excellent to share and also made my favourite list.

The following picture of granaries on the Alberta prairies also gets a special mention. A good picture should tell a story, trigger an emotion or bring questions to mind. I think this picture makes me very curious and asks me to create a story. It might be better during harvest or during the growing season. Imagine what this would be like if they plant Canola. I hope I make it back.

This picture from Linden, Alberta is important to me because Maria and I spent our last three summers together camping in Linden. When she was able, she loved walking the path around the ponds and always had a sense of achievement when she made it up the hill.  Toward the end of May I spread some of her ashes around the campground and at the top of this hill. Such a wonderful view to trigger such wonderful memories.

There are two bird pictures from this month that make the favourite list. Both of a Yellow Warbler at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Such a pretty bird. 

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Calgary's Singing Bridge; a lucky happenstance

This is a picture taken from the 12th Street East Bridge in Calgary, between the communities of Bridgeland and Inglewood. I included the west railing in the picture to show the wave from of the rails and the thin-flat shape of all but the top rail. 

According to Canadian Consulting Engineer; "This idea of softer edges was also applied to the pier caps and abutments, and gently flowing lines were shaped into the tear-drop pedestrian look outs. The bridge’s character, lines and colour palette echo other structures nearby, contributing to a common design language in the community." Nowhere can I find any reference to an a priori plan for the bridge to hum. Yet, when the breeze is just right and coming from the west, you can hear the rails hum as you cross the bridge on the pedestrian pathway. The "tear-drop" pedestrian look outs referred to above are a great place for photographers to move out of the way and take pictures of Calgary's skyline.

Happenstance or planned, it is a fun part of a walk. 

Best of April 2025

The good weather was with us for much of April. Early in April I went on a drive with another birder from Nature Calgary. This barn was beside the road Northeast of High River, Alberta. The telephoto really compresses the image so that the Rocky Mountains look right next to the barn.

This farm was also along that drive.

April was also the start of bicycle season for me, and this picture was from one of my first rides.

The Wood Ducks have returned to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. I used a letterbox format for this picture as well to show off the duck.

Middle of the month I was lucky enough to co-lead a field trip for Nature Calgary and East Village on Saint Patrick's Island in downtown Calgary. This was the first Pileated Woodpecker that the President of Nature Calgary and I have seen on the island.

On the same field trip, we noticed for the first time this year that the Osprey have returned to the island. They have successfully raised chicks for the last few years and they are nesting again this year  -- right on the Bloom art display.

With about a week remaining in the month I rode up to Queen's Park Cemetery and on the way home stopped at the south end of Rotary Park. This Elm was looking its finest.

The restored Centre Street Lion is near the same location.

Near the Bridgeland Market I passed this old Pontiac and took a monochrome picture of the front.

At the end of the month I participated in a Field Trip at North Glenmore Park and took this picture of a Black-capped Chickadee. I think this is my favourite picture of the month.

One of the last pictures I took for the month was of the NW Reader Rock Gardens tree. No blossoms yet, so monochrome.

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Monochrome March

March in Calgary is pretty monochrome -- brown! When we lose our blue skies, we may as well be taking pictures in black and white. Monochrome photography is such an amazing art that it's good to be reminded and to take the opportunity. This post includes some of my favourite pictures from March, but all in monochrome. I hope you enjoy them.  My favourite is at the end of the post. 

The first few pictures are of bike racks in the City of Calgary. These were taken in Bridgeland, at the Saint Patrick Island and at the Zoo parking lot. 

The next picture is of the playground at Saint Patrick Island and the one following is the metal bridge on the island.

The next few pictures are of architecture around the area. The first is a cool house at the top of our hill. 

My favourite picture of the month, colour or monochrome is of this tree at the corner of MacLeod Trail and 25 Ave SE, Calgary. I want to go back when it is in blossom; maybe for a colour picture. Every time I look at this picture the word that comes to mind is Love.

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