LaFarge Meadows, Calgary, August 14, 2023

Monday at LaFarge Meadows (Wolf Willow entrance) was beautiful and a great day for a field trip with Nature Calgary. The sky was clear with just the right amount of cloud.   This picture is from the entrance to the walking path.

iPhone 14, 5.7mm, ISO 50, f/1.5, 1/5076, August 14, 2023, 9:00am.

When we got to the river a Bald Eagle was spotted quite a distance down river. We also saw at least three Osprey cycling between the nest, the trees, and fishing on the river.  Nothing says you are serious like bringing sushi to your date; especially if the sushi is fresh!

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/3200, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 10:20 am.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/3200, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 10:20 am.

We didn't see many American pelicans on the river, but we had a flight of pelicans come right over us on our walk. These were in a formation of which the Canadian Forces Snowbirds would be proud. Very majestic! 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 200mm, ISO 1250, 1/500, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 10:30 am.

One of our group demonstrated incredibly sharp eyes and found this Wilson's Snipe on the bank of a small pond. This is a terrific sighting - the first of the year for most of us. These birds are so small, and so well camouflaged that they are very hard to see. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 749mm, ISO 1250, 1/400, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 11:00 am.

If you looked away it was very hard to find the Snipe again. This one stuck around for some pictures.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/800, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 10:55 am.

One of my favourite shots of the day was of this Greater Yellowlegs. What I really like is that the bird is lit from the back and you don't see its reflection, you see its shadow. Kind of neat!

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 615mm, ISO 1250, 1/640, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 11:10 am.

As we headed back toward the parking area, a Ruddy Duck hen and her chicks brought some cuteness to the day. Ruddy Duck Ducklings are just the best!

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/320, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 11:20 am.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/640, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 11:20 am.

On the same pond we watched a Red-necked Grebe build up speed to take flight. Apparently their legs are so far back that they cannot get airborne from land so must flap their wings and run on the surface to get enough speed for flight. This one only ran far enough to get away from us and then settled down. The running makes the most interesting pattering sound. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 737mm, ISO 1250, 1/1250, f/13. Aug 14, 2023, 11:30 am.

All photographic files post-edited with On1 Photo Raw 2023.

Carburn Park, Calgary, August 12, 2023

Saturday was a good day to visit Carburn Park in SE Calgary. It was a little cloudy and the sunlight wasn't ideal, but the leader from Nature Calgary was great and the walk was enjoyable. The Short-billed gull is an uncommon sighting, so it deserves to be shown. It is shown next to a Ring-billed gull; one of the most common gulls in Calgary right now. You get a bit of an idea of the Short-bill's size. The Short-billed gull was commonly called a Mew gull previously. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 539mm, ISO 1250, 1/320, f/13. Aug 12, 2023, 9:10 am.

There were at least three Cooper's Hawks in the park and their presence kept the other birds vocal and moving.  In the first picture the Hawk has a prey bird clutched in its talons.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 490mm, ISO 1250, 1/200, f/14. Aug 12, 2023, 10:00 am.

The hawk then flew off its perch, heading straight toward us.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 539mm, ISO 1250, 1/640, f/12. Aug 12, 2023, 10:20 am.

Across the river from the Carburn path, two Bald Eagles landed on the same tree. The lighting isn't ideal, but the picture is still interesting.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 490mm, ISO 1250, 1/640, f/12. Aug 12, 2023, 11:30 am.

All photographic files post-edited with On1 Photo Raw 2023.

68th Street Wetlands, August 09, 2023

Yesterday included an opportunity to participate in a Field Trip with Nature Calgary to the Wetlands in the evening. The sun would be in a different part of the sky than when I am usually there, and it was a chance to go with a new field trip leader. It was a terrific evening. The sky was low in the West, the wind had calmed down, and the birds were out! There were some new bird sightings, and we were lucky to spot at least five Blacked Crowned Night Herons and almost that many Great Blue Herons. There was a new Life Bird for me, a Wilson's Phalarope - 125 and counting. It was identifiable with binoculars and telescope but too far for a photograph. 

The first picture is of a Black Crowned Night Heron and the sun was really showcasing its beauty. Due to the low light, the ISO was up and there is a little more noise in the picture.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1600, 1/640, f/13. Aug 09, 2023, 7:00 pm.

The next is a picture of four Black Crowned Night Herons all lined up on a fence. I guess this is the place to come if you are looking for a place to store your heron. :-) I increased the f-stop so that the City of Calgary sign was also readable. Two of the Night Herons are adults and two are this year's juveniles. This is truly a rare sighting. "...chance favours only the prepared mind", Louis Pasteur.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 490mm, ISO 1600, 1/400, f/20. Aug 09, 2023, 7:10 pm.

Perhaps my favourite picture of the night is this shot of a female Merlin (the males are more grey/silver). She was perched on a barbed wire fence (ouch) watching for prey and she would swiftly fly off and then come back to perch. A bad day to be prey!

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600, f/13. Aug 09, 2023, 8:05 pm.

This was an out-and-back field trip, and on the out this Osprey hovered close to us as it searched the pond for fish. These pictures are just seconds apart. You can tell by the focal length that it was very close to us. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 300mm, ISO 1600, 1/1600, f/12. Aug 09, 2023, 7:10 pm.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 300mm, ISO 1600, 1/1250, f/12. Aug 09, 2023, 7:10 pm.

At the very end of our walk, a Black Crowned Night Heron and a Great Blue Heron lined up for a "family photo". 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 585mm, ISO 2500, 1/500, f/16. Aug 09, 2023, 8:30 pm.

At this point it was getting dark and the clouds were not looking any friendlier; so it was time to head to the car and home.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 200mm, ISO 2500, 1/500, f/22. Aug 09, 2023, 8:40 pm.

All photographic files post-edited with On1 Photo Raw 2023.

68 Street Wetlands, Calgary, August 07, 2023

Holiday Monday was an amazing day at the Wetlands. It is always fun to see Herons, and I saw both Great Blue Herons and Black Crowned Night Herons. At the Southeast corner of the Wetlands, near Stony trail, this Great Blue Heron was chilling in the shade of the trees by a stream and was my first picture of the day. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/320, f/13. Aug 07, 2023, 9:25 am.

At the southwest part of the wetland there were three Night Herons and a Great Blue Heron all in the same area.  When the Great Blue Heron took flight, it flew right over the Black Crowned Herons and I got two pictures with the Great Blue Heron with two different Black Crowned Herons.  When the Great Blue took off it spooked a Black Crowned and I caught them both in the same picture. The birds are so different, it is amazing that they are both Herons.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/1250, f/13. Aug 07, 2023, 10:15 am.

As the Great Blue Heron continued to gain height, it flew over a Black Crowned Night Heron that was perched on a branch. These two pictures are just a fraction of a second apart. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/1250, f/13. Aug 07, 2023, 10:15 am.

It was a very special day and I was able to capture two White Faced Ibis in the same shot. Now the name White Faced makes a little more sense.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/320, f/18. Aug 07, 2023, 10:05 am.

One of the Ibis stretched and presented a great opportunity to photograph its colours.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/1250, f/13. Aug 07, 2023, 9:55 am.

As an aside, a lot of our prairie birds nest in the grass. Please stay on the paths and don't place these birds in danger or under stress. We want them to come back next year. 

Ralph Klein Park, Calgary, August 06, 2023

On Sunday I went back to the park to see what I could find, and to check up on the Red Necked Grebe duckling of which I took a picture on July 25, 2023. In that picture, it was riding on its parent's back.  Most of the birds were quite far from the walking path and there was a bit of a haze; so not an ideal day for pictures. Perhaps the best picture was of the CP train.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 415mm, ISO 1250, 1/800, f/13. Aug 06, 2023, 11:10 am.

There were, of course, some birds close enough to photograph; including this group of young Mallards looking like they are practicing their V shape. Perhaps they were inspired by the Canada Geese.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 456mm, ISO 1250, 1/1240, f/13. Aug 06, 2023, 10:40 am.

The Grebe duckling was about half the size of its mom - in only 12 days and was swimming pretty independently.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/800, f/13. Aug 06, 2023, 9:40 am.

There were not many Red-winged Blackbirds left in the park, but this male was standing guard.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/500, f/13. Aug 06, 2023, 10:55 am.

In total I spotted nine Great Blue Herons but none were close enough for a good picture. Toward the end of my walk, however, this Northern Harrier swooped low over the grasses looking for some prey. It is a bit of an awkward picture due to the distance and haze, but it is a new Life Bird for me (123 and counting). Thanks to Ebird and Diane for assistance with identifying the raptor. Diane was a birder who had had her telescope set up and was birding with her husband. You do meet nice people when you are birding, and you have something in common in which to converse. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 456mm, ISO 1250, 1/1000, f/13. Aug 06, 2023, 10:50 am.

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, Saturday, August 05, 2023

On Saturday I went walking at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary with a fellow birder. It is always good to have an extra set of eyes and extra experience when looking for birds. You see more birds that way, and you identify more.  

Although a common sighting, a male Red-shafted Northern Flicker posed for us in the sunlight. You just had to take his picture.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 473mm, ISO 1250, 1/400, f/13. Aug 05, 2023, 10:15 am. 

Early in our walk we came to a disagreement with other birders about whether this Sandpiper was a Spotted Sandpiper or a Solitary Sandpiper.  Gloves were dropped, helmets came off, fists came up... Due to it being the end of summer and the characteristic tail bobbing of the bird, we opted for this to be a Spotted Sandpiper. I love the reflection in the water. "Mirror, mirror on the wall...". The low-light and slow shutter-speed made this picture a challenge to obtain. Identification thanks to ebird.org.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/100, f/13. Aug 05, 2023, 8:55 am. 

We saw quite a few Downy Woodpeckers on our walk. This brightly coloured male spent some time in the bushes instead of on the trees; somewhat an unusual place for him to be seen. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 723mm, ISO 1250, 1/640, f/13. Aug 05, 2023, 10:10 am.

Although not present when we started our walk, this Great Blue Heron perched in a tree quite close to the major bridge in the Sanctuary. This Heron looked quite rough; not well feathered, some down stuck in its cheek. It appears to be a quite young bird, perhaps not long from the nest.  One more victim of homelessness in today's society. 

 Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 669mm, ISO 1250, 1/800, f/13. Aug 05, 2023, 10:45 am. 

Bebo Grove, Friday, August 04, 2023

Friday's walk in Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Provincial Park was quite interesting. Our Field Trip was hosted by Nature Calgary.  Bebo Grove is a very pretty walk. The first two pictures are right along the creek. 

Apple iPhone 14, 6mm, ISO 50, 1/2632, f1.5. Aug 04, 2023, 9:15 am.

Apple iPhone 14, 6mm, ISO 50, 1/2695, f1.5. Aug 04, 2023, 8:45 am.

The best pictures  of the day seemed to be those that didn't include birds. After discussion, this seems to be a Chermock's Fritillary (Argynnis cybele pseudocarpenteri). Identification thanks to Inaturalist.org.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/200, f/16. Aug 04, 2023, 10:45 am.

This dragonfly is a Red-veined Meadowhawk. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 456mm, ISO 1250, 1/320, f/16. Aug 04, 2023, 10:15 am.

The best bird picture of the day was this female Merlin. It was early in the morning and there wasn't much light. 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/160, f/16. Aug 04, 2023, 9:15 am.

Following on the theme of not much light, this beautiful little juvenile female Rufous Hummingbird was seen by our sharp-eye leader. This is a tiny little bird at the end of a branch in the shade. It is however an uncommon sighting and certainly deserves to be shown on this blog. It is also a new Life Bird for me (122 and counting). 

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 697mm, ISO 1250, 1/125, f/13. Aug 04, 2023, 9:55 am.

The flower of the day was this Water Smartweed (Persicaria amphibia). Identification thanks to Inaturalist.org.

Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm + MC20, 800mm, ISO 1250, 1/200, f/16. Aug 04, 2023, 9:10 am.