Most of the photos I have posted today are poor quality images, just for the record for our annual May Species Count. On these counts, so many birds are far, far away and often partly hidden. There is no time to stop and wait in case the bird becomes more photogenic, but at least we saw them : ) These are the last of the Count photos that I will be posting. Now I am only two days behind.

Saturday, 6 June 2020: our temperature just after noon is 14C (windchill 14C). Sunrise is at 5:23 am, and sunset is at 9:47 pm. An overcast day and we are supposed to get rain this afternoon. Tomorrow is forecast to be another rainy day.

After finally getting to sleep around 2:30 am on the morning of 31 May, I was woken an hour later by a huge crash of thunder, along with some lightning and heavy rain. My alarm clocks had been set for 4:30 am, so I ended up with about an hour of sleep to last me the whole day for the annual May Species Count. There were just four of us covering this particular area, SW of the city, travelling in three cars. It worked out well, as it was easy to socially distance, especially as we were driving most of the time. At lunch time, we all sat in our own cars in the parking lot at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park and ate our lunch.

When I first got up, I was really hoping that the rain would end, even if just for my drive on the highway to get to our meeting place. Thankfully, it did stop and even brightened just a little. I had planned to get there a few minutes early, so that I could check a favourite spot, knowing that the forecast was for more rain. I was thrilled to find five Wilson's Snipes perched on fence posts, waiting to be photographed : ) They are one of my absolute favourite birds to see and photograph.

Our total number of bird species seen is 67, unless I hear otherwise, though as usual, I did not see every species on the list. We had a great day, with such a mix of bird sizes and colours. The couple had kindly brought along their spotting scope, too, which enabled us to see three very, very distant Bobolinks, down on the ground in a grassy field. A joy to see the straw-coloured patch on the back of the head.

Feeling so fortunate to be able to enjoy a day such as this, knowing what extreme and understandable pain and anger our neighbours south of the border are experiencing this week (not to mention for years).

Tags:   Alberta Canada SW of Calgary May Species Count 2020 nature wildlife ornithology avian bird Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi side view perched branch bush shrub building bokeh outdoor spring 31 May 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

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Once again, I needed to add some bright and cheery colour to my photostream, so I am adding the last few photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm. I would rather have posted a few photos taken on 25 June 2020, when I got together with five friends at the garden paradise where one of them lives. We each drove west of the city in our own vehicles, and social distancing was perfect. So much room outdoors, and lots of wildlife. Jackie does so much for the birds and animals that either live on her land or visit during migration. They know a good thing when they see it : ) Jackie had baked a delicious cake for us to enjoy, too - thank you, Jackie!

After a couple of hours of chatting - which felt SO good! - we went our separate ways. For me, that meant driving just a little further west along my usual backroads. There was one great sighting that I had to stop and photograph and then - my car 'died' AGAIN! This time, it didn't take too long to get it to work, but it is still an awful feeling every time it happens.

Back to today's postings: my original plan five days ago, on 22 June 2020, was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home from visiting Frank Lake. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order this time, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, though, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild in Alberta - to me, they always look as if they have escaped from the Zoo. On 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them the other day, so that you can hear the constant sound.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The path and boardwalk are under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing by birders/photographers. The few people who were at the lake the other day were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - with the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, when I first arrived at Frank Lake, I thought I had found it, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three very blurry photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes. Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary Saskatoon Farm garden flora plant flower red macro close-up bright colourful colour leaves foliage touch of filter added in post-processing greenhouse summer 22 June 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

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Will add info later - I am going to get a HAIRCUT!!! Normally, I get one every seven or eight weeks. This time, it will have been about three and a half months, as my last cut was just before the pandemic started! Can't wait!

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I needed to add some bright and cheery colour to my photostream, so I am adding a few photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm. I would rather have posted a few photos taken on 25 June 2020, when I got together with five friends at the garden paradise where one of them lives. We each drove west of the city in our own vehicles, and social distancing was perfect. So much room outdoors, and lots of wildlife. Jackie does so much for the birds and animals that either live on her land or visit during migration. They know a good thing when they see it : ) Jackie had baked a delicious cake for us to enjoy, too - thank you, Jackie!

After a couple of hours of chatting - which felt SO good! - we went our separate ways. For me, that meant driving just a little further west along my usual backroads. There was one great sighting that I had to stop and photograph and then - my car 'died' AGAIN! This time, it didn't take too long to get it to work, but it is still an awful feeling every time it happens.

Back to today's postings: my original plan five days ago, on 22 June 2020, was to call in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home from visiting Frank Lake. By mid afternoon, I was hoping I could reach the farm before the restaurant closed, and I just made it. A quick wander around took me to the enclosure for the hens and chickens. One hen had been separated and I quickly saw why. She had maybe half a dozen teeny babies that were the cutest little things.

My hope had been to buy a few food items - I hadn't placed a food order this time, as I didn't need many things. Most things were already sold out by the time I was about to leave. No problem at all, though, as I know I will be back there before long. I think it's my second home.

Never will I get used to seeing Great American Pelicans in the wild in Alberta - to me, they always look as if they have escaped from the Zoo. On 22 June 2020, I saw so many of them when I drove south as far as Frank Lake. It's not unusual to see them there - it is just overwhelming to see them in such large numbers. Barely room to move and sharing the bits of raised land surrounded by water, with endless, very noisy gulls (many California Gulls). I also posted a video of them the other day, so that you can hear the constant sound.

Pretty well all the birds at Frank Lake are very or extremely distant, even more so now that the whole area is so flooded. The path and boardwalk are under water and the blind remains boarded up, to prevent the risk of lack of social distancing by birders/photographers. The few people who were at the lake the other day were doing a great job of staying distant.

What a surprise it was, when I pulled off the gravel road by the outflow area, to see that another person who was also pulling over was good friend, Diane. We spent such an enjoyable few hours together - with the required distance between us at all times, of course. Diane knows the birds and can find them, including through her scope, so I ended up seeing far more (zooming in on my camera) than if I had been there on my own (no binoculars).

The best find of all was the 'rare in Alberta' Great Egret. I could barely even see the tiny white speck with the naked eye. Diane found it through her scope, and we were both so excited as she hadn't yet seen it. Actually, when I first arrived at Frank Lake, I thought I had found it, standing in a far, far away tree. A large, upright, white bird - what else could it be? Now that I have edited one of the three photos I took, I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron that I saw. In which case, the fact that my friend spotted the definite Great Egret, meant that I ended up seeing this rare bird after all. Thank you, Diane!

Another bird that we both enjoyed seeing and hearing was the tiny Marsh Wren. Such a cute little bird, singing its heart out among the Cattails and Bulrushes. Definitely not the easiest of birds to photograph, especially when keeping our distance from it.

The various bird species that I tried to photograph resulted in many poor quality photos, As always, though, poor photos are far more meaningful than no photos. In order to get much closer captures, one would need to walk right up to, or along, the edge of the water. The extra stress this could cause is just what the birds don't need, especially as there are lots of babies right now.

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary Saskatoon Farm bird chicken chick tiny young group with mother hen cage cute cuteness indoor summer 22 June 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

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This old house was at the same location as the farmstead photo I posted yesterday. I'm sure I have never seen this place before, and I was thrilled to come across it on 25 January 2020.

Three days ago, 30 March 2020, was a day I had been looking forward to - to finally finishing the huge task of sorting, editing and posting 1,161 photos from our amazing birding trip to South Texas in March 2019. Having spent exactly one year doing this, it feels rather strange to be digging into my archives for images to upload.

For each photo, I will use the same description that I added under a different, already posted image from the same day. Stay safe and stay well, everyone!

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"Monday, 27 January 2020: our temperature this morning is -3C (windchill -3C), and the sun is shining so far. Sunrise is at 8:20 am, and sunset is at 5:18 pm.

Three of the photos I have posted today were taken the day before yesterday, on 25 January 2020. The last two images uploaded were taken yesterday, when I went for a morning birding walk in Fish Creek Park with a group of good friends.

The main difference in this barn (not the one in the photo above) between 2014 and 2020 is that there is now an open space at the far end of the low, sloping part of the building. The rest of the barn looks pretty much the same, at least from this angle, taken (as always) from the road. I'm always amazed to find it still standing.

Two days ago, on 25 January 2020, the weather was beautiful, so I made a last-minute decision to drive SE of the city to take a few winter photos. For about five hours, I drove along wet, muddy, gravelly roads which were atrocious to drive on. You can barely tell that I have a white car : )

Needless to say, I did keep my eyes open in case there was a Snowy Owl somewhere. No luck until much later, after I thought it was time to turn around and start heading for home. I suddenly spotted a beautiful bird perched on a distant fence line. Far away, but at least it wasn't sitting on a utility pole insulator. Most of the time, it either sat there with its back turned towards me, or it kept looking away from me. Luckily, I did manage a few shots that are fit to post.

On this drive, I passed various old barns and houses that I always stop and photograph when I am out that way. A few new ones added to the joy of the day.

The day ended with my getting lost in exactly the same way as I did once before. To get out of it, I had to waste a lot of time having to drive back south again in order to turn around. However, the thought of seeing the Snowy Owl kept a smile on my face."

I have tried to find more information online, but with no luck. There was a sign for this farmstead by the road that said:

"Buck for Wildlife.
Abandoned Farmstead Project
The Graham Family is gratefully acknowledged in the management of habitat for Alberta's Fish and Wildlife Resources. Permission has to be obtained to enter the area. I always take my photos of old buildings from the road, anyway."

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary homestead farmstead old weathered rural rural decay abandoned building home house square wood wooden The Graham Family Buck for Wildlife Abandoned Farmstead Project Fish and Wildlife Resources field grass snow sky outdoor winter 25 January 2020 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2020 © All Rights Reserved

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A few days ago, 30 March 2020, was a day I had been looking forward to - to finally finishing the huge task of sorting, editing and posting 1,161 photos from our amazing birding trip to South Texas in March 2019. Having spent exactly one year doing this, it feels rather strange to be digging into my archives for images to upload.

For each photo, I will use the same description that I added under a different, already posted image from the same day, to remind myself of where I went and what I saw. Stay safe and stay well, everyone!

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"This afternoon, 23 September 2019, I made a last-minute dash to the Saskatoon Farm, after seeing the very unpleasant weather forecast that is about to hit us. A couple of days of rain followed by a few days of SNOW. These colourful images should have waited till our world turns white, but just the thought of seeing snow was enough to make me long for colour - and lots of it! Also, I thought I had better post something other than fungi, though I have so many more photos of them that I need to edit and upload.

The sun was supposed to shine today, along with some cloud, but it turned out to be an overcast afternoon with poor light for photos. Better than snow, any day.

This interesting place is maybe a 20-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food.

www.saskatoonfarm.com/

As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera, catching two of the dogs, a chicken, as well as flowers. Many of the latter are on their last legs, but there is still some colour to be enjoyed. I never return home with an empty memory card when I visit this place."

Tags:   Alberta Canada SE of Calgary The Saskatoon Farm wheel wooden old wagon wheel spokes hub texture grass field outdoor first day of fall 23 September 2019 Canon SX60 Canon SX60 Powershot annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2019 © All Rights Reserved

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