change in the weather, again and again

Well, my little balcony garden weathered the hail storm yesterday. I just got home in time to avoid being pelted myself. Big dark clouds came very quickly from the southwest and with wind and thunder a hail storm pelted the town. The first photo is the roof across the street funnelling the hail stones to the eaves, the others show how hard and fast the hail fell. My window boxes and balcony railing had hailstones hitting them.

This morning was sunny and the flowers seemed to reach for the infrequent, much missed, sun they need. Nasturtiums in a hanging pot in hopes they will spill down in cascades. Sweetpeas by string hoping they will reach up and perfume the balcony. The purple lobelia is my great delight. There have been few days warm or sunny enough to sit out so each minute I can sit on the balcony is a pleasure.

A beautiful evening

Parts of Canada have too much heat, parts have too much rain, parts have too much cold (us) and then today - a perfect day and a perfect evening.

Saw a bald eagle, lots of redwing blackbirds, warblers, some we can identify, most we cannot. And always the joy of being outside looking at the sky and the mountains.

sandpiper and sunsets

After a snowfall on Sunday morning and days of rain as well, Saturday evening was dry and Audrey and I went out birding - again.

We think this is a Solitary Sandpiper, it was solitary that much we do know. Still trying to learn as much as we can about identifying birds. Also saw the Sora, a Heron, red-winged blackbirds, and a Sparrow we think was a White Throated and several Coots, one pictured here and many warblers.
The sunset was amazing. Just love being outside and the birds are the bonus if we spot them.

Addicted to Birds

My friend Audrey and I went to Vermillion Lakes again tonight...we admit we are obsessed with birds these days and is it any wonder why?

So much activity, singing and courting and such sights we are rewarded with!

Red wing black birds always a favourite of mine - partly because of the calls they make. And to my absolute delight....the thrill this evening of seeing a pair of Kestrels. So beautiful and to see two was a gift.

As you can see from the photos of the lakes it was a perfect spring evening. Finally Banff is warm and sunny.

I am still taking some photographs of flowers too. Hope you are enjoying lots of beautiful bords as well.

Wonderful days of bird sightings - too h*** with the snow storm

Big snow on Friday, April 29th, yesterday. The last two pictures were taken as Charley and I were heading into work.

The raven starts a series of bird pictures taken during our four hour morning bird walk today. Audrey and I went to the marsh loop and saw a sharp shinned hawk (no photo) in the marsh grasses hunting, a killdeer, a coyote, and other birds. Then we went to Vermillion Lakes and saw an Eagle and a great blue heron (no photos) and the ones posted here were birds we saw at the beaver dam: in order: Yellow-rumped Warblers, a beaver! first sighting this year! Hooray Audrey saw it! one of a family that lives in beaver pond, Varied thrush (orange and black) the wren was a thrill to see and it came very close to us. The loon and the Ruddy Ducks - with BLUE beaks, I saw on the Bow River on my walk home on Friday.

Happy Easter, Happy Spring

So many birds have returned to Banff that I have to believe that spring has a toehold in the mountains.

I have had wonderful bird sightings this week: The first picture is the male Ruby Crowned Kinglet:

A pair of Mountain Bluebirds,

a Varied Thrush, a Northern Shrike, an Osprey, dove into the Bow River, caught a fish, fought to hold the thrashing fish, lost the fish, flew away frustrated, then Boreal Chickadees,

Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Yellow Rumped Warbler, Mergansers,

The four letter word that begins with S

SNOW

This morning - this evening, yesterday, the day before.....

the only one enjoying this is

Santiago

What happened to the other word that begins with S

SPRING

went for a birdwalk at 8am this morning....cold, snowy but great fun.

Heard an American Rail (that's to very knowledgeable birders on the walk - they could tell from bird songs what we were hearing). Heard a Pileated Woodpecker.

Saw a Northern Three-toed woodpecker

Saw juncos, boreal chickadees, a hairy woodpecker, Canada Geese, robins (? what are they doing here in the land of eternal winter)