Carburn Park August 22, 2021

My motivation was high to be outside knowing the air was fresh and that it was a crisp cool morning.  With no desire for spending much time in my car, I opted to visit Carburn Park where I knew I could cover many kilometres to post to my new virtual challenge.  I arrived to a temperature that was fresh enough for a fleece.  The sky was beginning to show off a bit of blue as I hit the trails.

My most favourite part of this urban hike today was when I arrived at a little pool of water formed by runoff from the Bow River.  It was bath time for the birds!  One by one they took turns splashing around in the pool.  When one flew off, another flew in.  Some got fully immersed while others just splashed about a bit.  While some I can identify, others shall remain nameless.  The top middle is a Black-Capped Chickadee.  The top right is a male Northern Flicker who I saw perched in a tree waiting patiently for a turn.  The bottom left is a female Yellow Warbler, that is her also in the promo photo at the top of the blog post.  The bottom right is a Cedar Waxwing. The top left and bottom middle are warblers of a sort.

Early on when I followed the dirt trail closest to the River, I spotted many beavers swimming and diving about.  As I got closer to the edge, I could then see this beaver sitting on the edge.  I have included a collage of a few others I saw in the area.  I believe there were a few families as they all varied in size.  The top left photo in the collage shows the beaver tail.

I left the main trail and veered off into the forest where there was a flurry of activity.  The songs were of a variety as were the species.  In fact, it was a bit overwhelming at first until I told myself to remain focused on one bird at a time.  

White-Breasted Nuthatch

female Downy Woodpecker

male Downy Woodpecker

female Yellow Warbler (maybe)

Yellow-Rumped Warbler (maybe)

Cedar Waxwing

Black-Capped Chickadee (with a band on its leg)

While the birds of prey (Bald Eagle, Osprey) were flying about too, I admired them from a distance.  This morning, I truly enjoyed focusing on the little things that were close by, that includes the scenery.  After all the rain, vegetation is green and lush again.  

calm enough for a perfect reflection

If you look closely you can see that I loved everything about being here today!