Cochrane
At the end of July, I went to Cochrane Ranch but for the most part found no one willing to be photographed. Down by the river, however, were dozens of cliff swallows. They had built their nests on the underside of a bridge and since the water was low, it was easy to get underneath and see them feeding their babies.
Glenmore Park
Walking in the southwest end of Glenmore Park, it was impossible to miss how close the ring-road is going to be. The construction was so loud. I worry about what is going to become of the animals that seem to be moving east into the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Carburn Park
I made two trips to Carburn park this summer. it seems to be one of the places that I have the most success.
I saw these birds at different times during my visit, the first, I assume is an adult, while the other is a juvenile, still trading in its grey baby down for yellow feathers.
This is the first time I have seen a juvenile robin with its spotted chest.
The deer in Carburn Park seem to take humans very calmly, although fortunately not with complete trust. This one and another came around a corner of the path a few yards from me. We stared at each other while I took this photo and then they moved across and into the bushes, keeping a close eye on me to make sure I wasn’t coming any closer.
The second photo may have been the same deer or another. I saw it about an hour later at the opposite end of the park. It was walking along-side the pond quite a distance from me and then took off. I couldn’t see what it was running from – or toward.
Early in the morning, two beavers were zooming around in one of the ponds. Then one got out and waddled across the path to the other pond to go to the dam. It may have been doing some housekeeping on the inside because I didn’t see it carrying any sticks or branches in its mouth.
I really like the spikey hair-do of the female common merganser. These are the type of girl that just don’t have the patience to mess around with a hair-dryer in the morning.
Fish Creek Park
I also ventured down to the east end of Fish Creek Park. There were three or four cormorants in a pond, with this fellow seeming to want to be in charge.
A little further south, a pair of osprey had built a next on top of a highway sign standard. I had seen the nest a couple of times earlier in the year, but could not get a clear photo. On this day, two were visible sitting in the nest and a third came along and started giving the evil eye to me and a cyclist who had stopped to watch. After a few minutes, the cyclist and I decided that we were stressing the osprey out and we left. The bird perched on another light standard to watch me as I walked back up the road. I think it wanted to be sure I understood that I wasn’t welcome.
Pelicans are neat birds. To look at them on land or water, you’d have to wonder how they ever get air-borne, and yet they do!
