LaFarge Meadows June11

Wanting to get out of the house, I walked at LaFarge Meadows this morning. It was really smokey, so any distance in the photographs and they were pretty hazy.  I wore an N95 mask to help with the smoke, but my eyes still feel pretty gritty. But the birds were amazing this morning.

As I started walking I saw this patch of Wild Roses on my way to the river. Such colour when the flowers are new.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/250, f/18. June 11, 2023, 9:00 am.

One of the prettiest little birds in Alberta is the Savannah Sparrow. Such understated beauty! This little one was singing for me, but it took a little while to finally catch my eye so that I could get a picture. The splash of yellow colour over the eyes really sets off the head. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/640, f/13. June 11, 2023, 9:10 am.

At about the same time, this little gray/black bird flew across the path and then started to sing in the bushes. I didn't know what it was, but opened Merlin from Cornell Labs and recorded the song. Merlin identified it as a Gray Catbird and it looked just like the picture. This is a new bird for my Life List (116 species and counting). I love the black cap on the head.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/13. June 11, 2023, 9:12 am.

Across the Bow River this Great Blue Heron was disturbed by some fly fisherman and it headed up river. It was far enough way that the smoke impacted the sharpness of the picture and saturation of the colours. Without any smoke, this would have been a much better picture. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/13. June 11, 2023, 9:15 am.

As I walked some distance up river toward downtown, the Great Blue Heron had landed and was checking out the shoreline. It is still a little hazy due to the distance and the smoke in between. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/13. June 11, 2023, 9:35 am.

As I got to the turn-back point, I was lucky enough to spot two separate Blacked Capped Night Herons. These are quite a large, shy bird. I usually don't find these in the trees, but both were up in the branches keeping an eye on the activity on the river. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/13. June 11, 2023, 9:40 am.

It is always fun to see raptors on these trips. There are a couple of Osprey nests and I was lucky enough to spot three different Ospreys.  As I watched one fly, I thought it might swing back toward the nest, so I got the camera ready and was able to get a shot of it landing on the nest. You can see the head of its nesting partner peeking up over the edge of the nest. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/4000, f/13. June 11, 2023, 9:40 am.

This picture of a Cedar Waxwing had to be added to the day's pictures. This is just such a pretty bird - it is like a painting. Such lovely colours.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/250, f/18. June 11, 2023, 10:20 am.

It was a good morning, lots of tree therapy and bird time. Such a magnificent diversity of birds in the Calgary area!

Superman

Where is Superman, Superdog, Lois and Birdy?

When Maria and I would walk along the path to Prairie Winds Park we would say high to everyone. Some were regulars and we gave them names. One man who ran every morning would get hot and instead of taking his t-shirt off, he would take his arms out and let the shirt flow back from his neck; like a cape. We called him Superman. At times he would walk his beautiful Burmese dog.  The dog just had to be called Superdog. Sometimes his wife would walk the dog on the path and she we called Mrs. Superman -- I guess we didn't think she had superpowers.  One lady always walked in the left lane; the wrong lane. We kept her in the Superman franchise and called her Lois Left Lane. And Birdy was Birdy. That was actually her name. A tiny senior who always said hello and when Maria wasn't able to walk due to health reasons, Birdy always asked about her. 

For the last four years I haven't been able to walk on the path; first due to my health problems and then Maria's.  I have now been walking for 71 days (yes, it has been 71 days) and where are all these super-heroes? I find it amazing that after only four-years, everyone on the path system is new -- except me. I am not new, just old.  Does the universe have so much entropy that not even one of them is still walking.

I hope they are all okay. Maybe they are walking somewhere else.

Yesterday while walking at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, I took this picture with my phone. We are lucky to live in a city with such great green spaces. 

iPhone 14, ISO50, 5.7mm, 1/5076, f/1.5, 9:50 am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

Pretty Bird Day

At the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary today it seemed like all the pretty birds were out.  It seemed like the birds were out to brighten my mood.  There were a lot of Spotted Sandpipers around the ponds and quite a bit of aggression defending territory. These two were not happy with each other. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/800, f/13. June 09, 2023, 9:10 am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

This Sandpiper has quite the fan display of its tail. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/13. June 09, 2023, 9:15am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

Just to brighten the day, the Baltimore Oriole finally made itself visible. I had heard it last time when I was at Inglewood, but could not get eyes on it. Unfortunately today it was high in the trees and I could not get a shot without a branch in the way. It is too bad, because they are such a colourful bird.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/640, f/13. June 09, 2023, 10:15am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

Continuing the colour theme, this House Finch shows just how colourful their reds can be.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/800, f/13. June 09, 2023, 9:25am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

And finally, a solitary Cedar Waxwing was hanging out by the ponds, watching the Sandpipers. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1600, f/13. June 09, 2023, 9:15am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

All in all, an uplifting morning!

Coffee?

So many male birds get a lot of attention, but a lot of the females are quite beautiful. Perhaps not as overstated, but beautiful for sure.  This Common Goldeneye is very pretty. She also looks hyper-awake, and I thought she may have overdone the morning caffeine intake. Both the Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser females were acting a little unusual this day; perhaps that means we will have ducklings pretty soon.  Both species nest in trees and their ducklings will be coming to the water in the near future. 

 Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/400, f/18. June 06, 2023, 8:55am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

This Common Merganser is also a pretty female. It appears that she is practicing her streamline, aerodynamic look!

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1250, f/18. June 06, 2023, 8:55am. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

This morning I walked at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. The Wood Ducks were very present, lots of ducklings! The ducklings are a little more independent this week and are sometimes quite a way from their mom.  I love how the wave in front of the duck distorts the image of its head -- kind of like a fun house (dear young reader, a fun house was....). 

 Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/640, f/20. June 06, 2023, 10:15am.

One hen climbed onto a downed tree and all her ducklings followed her. There seems to be too many to count.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/500, f/20. June 06, 2023, 9:25am.

This male Wood Duck was facing the sun just right and his feathers just sparkled in the light.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/1000, f/14. June 06, 2023, 9:15am.

I only saw one raptor while at the sanctuary, a soaring Swainson's Hawk. The Olympus OM-1 has many setting that help you maintain focus on a subject. For birding, there is actually a focus assist that looks for birds.  Amazing!

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/2500, f/18. June 06, 2023, 9:00am.

A family of European Starlings were living in this tree. The largest nestling plugged up the hole with its size to ensure that it got fed first. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 2500, 1/250, f/20. June 06, 2023, 9:40am.

Horse Time

 There is something about the outside of a horse 

that is good for the inside of a man. 

(Winston Churchill)

Olympus OMD-M5II, 14-150mm, 80mm, ISO, 2500, 1/640, f/11. June 03, 2023, 10:15 am.

Forty-hours old, up, nursing, testing out those long, long legs!

Olympus OMD-M5II, 14-150mm, 29mm, ISO, 2500, 1/500, f/11. June 03, 2023, 10:45 am. 

Adventures

 Thanks for the adventures, Now go have another one!

In the middle of March, 2023, Maria was very tired and weak and wanted to watch a show that would make her laugh and smile. We picked the Pixar movie Up!  Perhaps not our best choice; for the first half of the show we were both crying -- this old man having to go on after losing his life partner. At about the half-way point, he was reading his wife's adventure book that she had started in high school. On the last page she said the above (or close to it). and Maria turned to me and said "that's what you have to do, have some more adventures". 

We were lucky, we had some wonderful adventures!

• In 1992 our first adventure was when you were brave enough to invite me to a family wedding. What an adventure. Part way through the evening I asked you to dance, and it felt like we had been dancing for a lifetime.  It really scared me; I took you to your home and ran away. You gave me two weeks to call, and I called on the 13th day. Lucky me!
• In 1993 we shipped two motorcycles to Germany - presold. When we got to Germany we rode motorcycles all around Germany; what a great adventure. Going somewhere where there is no speed limit and riding a motorcycle was thrilling!

• You always dreamed of flying, so for your birthday in 1995 I gifted you a tandem sky-diving experience. I stayed with both feet firmly planted on the ground. 

• In 1995 we also took a family holiday in Germany. One of my best vacations ever. It was so much fun staying in Berlin with all of us!
• In 1996 we started an adventure that is still warming my heart. We started our married life! Such a beautiful bride! Such a happy day!

• In 2001 we traveled across Canada in our truck and camper. My goodness you loved that camper.  We spent 9-weeks on our travels and only ate out three times. Talk about being compatible!

• In 2003, in  San Francisco, California, at the annual conference of the American Association of Medical Colleges, we gave a workshop together on using Microsoft Word and Excel to manage databanks of examination questions rather than more expensive proprietary software. You were a star, and will always be listed as a presenter at that conference. We extended that adventure by going to Kauai, the only time we were in Hawaii at the same time. You loved this beach picture and I am glad I can post it here. 

• In 2004 we had the privilege and honour of attending our son's graduation from Stanford. Such a good day, and you got such a sunburn - sitting in the football stadium in the hot sun. 

• In 2002 and 2003 we adventured down the Washington and Oregon coasts to visit the family in Mountain View, California. We fell in love with the aquariums down the coast - especially in Newport, Oregon. 

• In 2007 we adventured to Yellowstone National Park for the first time -- and definitely not our last. For a while it was our favourite vacation; until we went to the Yukon. On our first day in Yellowstone we found Bison babies. So fabulous! You said that they babies were frolicking! 

• In 2012 on our way to AVCA exams, we adventured to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, both near Moab, Utah. I remember looking at the view and being overwhelmed that I could share it with you. You hold my heart!

• In 2015 we adventured to the Yukon. You always said it was the best vacation ever. In Whitehorse one day you walked 50,000+ steps; best walk day ever! We walked everywhere! We saw more black bears than black flies as we arrived in the Yukon in late May. An amazing adventure. 

• In 2015, for your birthday I gifted you (and me) a balloon ride in Columbus, Missouri. It was a magical morning with fog covering the ground. We had a wonderful adventure together! Look how tanned we were! Look at that smile!

• We adventured on so many camping trips, near and far.  Tunnel Mountain in Banff, Interlakes and Elkwood in Kananaskis, Lions Campground in Red Deer, Writing on Stone, Drumheller Badlands, Jasper, Basin in Montana, Cape Lazo on Vancouver Island, Riverside in Cochrane, South Dakota Badlands, Yellowstone, Amana Colonies, Miami OK, Ennis in Montana, Roosevelt National Park, Moab in Utah, Interstate in Davenport, Kentucky Horse Park, Clear Lake in Iowa, Dawson in the Yukon, Kathleen Lake in the Yukon, Whitehorse in the Yukon, Clinton State Park in Kansas, Mystery Cave State Park in Minnesota, Wallace Campground in Idaho, St. Malo in Manitoba, Linden Coulee Campground, and countless Walmart parking lots. 
• In 2020 we ventured to Linden, Alberta because covid was placing greater demand on the mountain parks. We fell in love with Linden and adventured there for the next three years. In 2020 you were feeling pretty well and you walked and walked and walked every day. The locals would say "Hi, oh you are the folks that walk everywhere!". It became your favourite place to go camping and you loved the village.

Simply too many adventures to list them all, but these are a few.  Love you sweetie!

Thanks for the adventures, Now go have another one!