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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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. 

As an addendum this picture was taken by hanging my cameral over the edge of the railing.

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. 

Nellie Irene (nee Reynolds) Jalland

In April I took a picture of a statue at Reader Rock Gardens and the Union Cemetery. This picture sparked some questions, and I thought I should put more context around this picture. It was a rainy/snowy morning and I thought the water droplets added to the picture. 

The above picture is part of statue. This is the whole statue. Art is like a Rorschach test. The feeling we have about the art tell more about us than about the art itself. 

When I see this statue, I think of an untold love story. This is Nellie Irene (nee Reynolds) Jalland. She was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and died in Calgary August 30, 1937. She was only 41 years of age and died after a lengthy illness. Her husband, in memory of Nellie, erected a marble statue. Unfortunately it was vandalized and later replaced with this bronze. I don't want to focus on the negative vandals, but on the immense love (Private) Cyril Vincent Jalland obviously felt for her. He lived until 1973: over 3 decades without his love. 

My feelings for this statue obviously reflect my past. I hope most peoples' feelings and personal stories are positive and maybe by thinking about Nellie her memory will live again. You can find out more about Nellie here. 

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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