ending June on a birding note

As the mid point of this year draws to a close and as I put together this blog post, while the rain pours down outside, I am also reflecting on how great of a season I've had with baby bird watching.  Ever since I started making an effort at being a better birder, seeing the babies has been such a treat. I have never seen as many as I have this past while.  I question, am I a better birder?  Being more in tune to what I see and hear has afforded me quite the sights!   

It's time to get back to crafting when I"m not "out & about".  With the left over pieces of cord from my previous macrame projects,  I crafted this little bird that now sits close to the trunk on my fairy light tree.  I wanted it to have a bright-eyed and bushy look giving it the effect of being a baby!  

Well before the rain ever began to pelt down today, I ventured back to Carburn Park to collect kilometres and bird sightings.  I wanted to end this last day of June feeling fulfilled from experiencing a successful half of the year.  

First on my agenda was to check out that Yellow Warbler's nest that I reported about on June 22nd and June 25th when I first saw four little ones inside and the second time seeing Mom sitting on the side of the nest. Today when I checked the nest, it was empty.  For a few seconds my heart dropped but then just like that, I heard and saw movement in the bushes.  After moving back and eyeing the bushes, this is what I spied, a baby fledgling Yellow Warbler!  There was more fluttering going on rather than flying.  I saw three while I watched the area and I also saw Mom swoop in with treats for them.  It certainly has that bright-eyed bushy look!  

That same look can be said for this Black-Capped Chickadee!  I think I am looking at my next project, a watercolour painting of a whimsical looking baby Chickadee.  This one was going no where as I approached and when I say approach, I mean still from a distance but using my zoom to a good extent.  

Across the river, the Juvenile Bald Eagle sat perched on the top of a dead tree stump.  It is just a big baby! It flapped its wings awkwardly and it oddly squawked at everything and anything that was around it.  

Watching this sight unfold was the highlight of the day for me! I was not quick enough to take a video.  I saw the female Common Merganser as I walked toward the shore.  Then just like that, the babies came scurrying out from near the edge and hopped on her back.  She gave me the side eye look then swam off.  

off they go

During that visit to the Park back on June 22nd, a fellow told me there was a Robin's nest in the area where we were standing.   While I did not see the nest, I did see an adult Robin bustling about.  Fast forward to today, there were three young Robin's frolicking in the water's edge.  This video shows one of them  

Afterwards, the young Robin flew to this spot a few feet from the water to primp its feathers.  

Mom taught it well!  It was so cute to watch, at times loosing its balance.  

I have been focused on everything related to the babies while being a birder lately, yet I also spent some time admiring what else was in the Park.  This is a Spotted Sandpiper.  I am not going to hazard a guess on the age of this one.  It did look bright-eyed and bushy while another Spotted Sandpiper stayed in the water close by.  

While I watched the Juvenile Bald Eagle, the adult Bald Eagle watched over it.

I have never seen no many Woodpeckers as I did today.  

This is one of dozens, a male Downy Woodpecker.

A pile of Pelicans!

Just like the Woodpeckers, I have never seen as many Cedar Waxwings as I have these past few outings.  There has been loads of activity by them and I am certain there must have been a nest or two in the areas that I visited.   This is just one of the many Waxwings.  

While the rain is pelting down, the thunder is roaring and the sky is being lit by lightning, 

I am saying good-bye to June and look forward to what the next half of this year brings!

Challenges & Rewards

⭐While capturing photographs of the colourful buildings along the River Inn in Innsbruck, Austria a few weeks ago, I knew at that time I wanted to create a water-colour painting from one of my photographs.  Before going on that trip, I googled lots about Innsbruck and this view came up at the forefront every time.  I put a challenge out to myself to recreate it!  I even googled lots on how others artists went about that task.  This is my favourite photo of that iconic scene so it is the one I used as my reference.  

My initial thought was how on earth am I going to paint this scene!  There is so much detail in the buildings.  It's been ages since I did a line and wash but that was how I wanted to recreate the buildings and the trees.  I did a pencil sketch first of the buildings and then an outline of the mountain tops.  I used masking fluid to protect the edges of the mountains, the edges of the buildings and the divide between the river and the trees. The sky was painted in a few shades of blue and while still wet, I lifted the paint with a paper towel to create the clouds.  The mountains are many shades of grey to give definition.  It was fun painting the river, to me it looks like it is flowing high and fast.  Using black india ink, I outlined the buildings and the trees.  Once that was dry, then I painted them.  Here you have it, my recreation of this iconic scene in Innsbruck! I am so pleased with the outcome! It felt rewarding to get it how I wanted it to look on the first try!  

⭐Covering the distance along the Camino de Santiago Virtual Challenge has been playing out in the background ever since I crossed the start line on April 19th.  Some days after entering the distance I covered into the app, I got lost in looking at the virtual views at the current location.  At times, my mind drifted off to the thought, could I accomplish something like this in reality? 

This map shows where I am at the end of June 27th.  I am ahead of plan (red marker shows where the pacer is).  I have to admit, early on I adjusted the projected finish date further into the summer. Just the other day, I scaled back when I saw I could finish by the end of July.  

To date these are the statistics. If I am able to keep up the daily distances I have been covering this past while, I should have no problem crossing the finish line by the end of July.  

When the time comes to enter the final distance that will bring me to the finish line, that's when my reward will be on the way.  The medal looks like a beautiful one, just like all the others.  

⭐I have been looking for sites that offer different challenges other than what are offered by The Conqueror Company.   Every now and then Pacer shows up in my feed so I checked it out.  One of their adventure challenges is Amsterdam!  How fitting for me!  My mind is still over there!  I signed up!  

I will attack this virtual challenge at the same time as the Camino challenge. The route starts and finishes outside of Amsterdam.  Many of the areas are places I would loved to have visit while I was there but time was not on my side during that trip.  Maybe someday I will return! Amsterdam is a great stop off location for a few days before carrying on elsewhere. 

Upon completion of this virtual challenge, this will be my reward!  The medal comes apart and the tulip u-shape at the front can be put on a chain to make a necklace.  

⭐The reward of a delicious meal along with an adult beverage looks a little different in Calgary than it does in the Austrian Alps.  We incorporated a stop along the way to have lunch.  There was no concern with eating or drinking too much as there was no elevation gain to contend with after the meal.  A Sangria with Salad on a Breaded Chicken Breast was the perfect pairing. Cheers to our recent trips and future adventures to come!   

blend in + don't move + patience = pay off

I mentioned in a previous post that I have lots to learn when it comes to birds!  Since 2021, I have taken four online courses that I completed, passed the tests and received a certificate for each.  There are many more courses to take but I have been putting off taking them not wanting the additional time sitting at the computer.  Maybe one rainy day or through a winter blizzard I will take time and invest the hours needed. 

I learned today while "out & about" that the bird activity I was watching was not necessarily what I thought it was. A fellow who I chat with often at the different places I go, shared some of his knowledge with me.  So, I am a little further ahead but still have lots to learn. 

What I learned quite some time ago was that I need to have patience (which is not my forte), I need to blend in with the surroundings (I have my birding outfits) and I need to just stand still (I want to be on the go).  Two out of the three for me take work!  I worked at those today and the work paid off! 

High above in a tree, I heard continuous chirping!  I found where the song was coming from!  A very tiny hole had this head peeking out.  I watched.....

.....I listened!  

I waited, then the Mom Downy Woodpecker appeared to answer the call! 

Chirping of a different tune came from another hole high in another tree!  I spotted this Baby Northern Flicker calling out for food!  No one came but the call was being answered by another Northern Flicker in another tree across the way.  I thought, time to move on then maybe Mom will fly by.

Warbler Watching!  There is an abundance of Yellow Warblers to watch this season.   They are so easy to spot.  Off and on throughout this morning, bright yellow flashes caught my eye.  I came away with many photos of them.  These are my favourites.

I remembered where that nest was and I went back to check on it.  I blended in with the surroundings, I stayed still leaning against a tree, I practiced patience and then I held my breathe when the Mom Yellow Warbler flew in with treats for her babies.  I breathed again and then my heart melted!

Cooling off on a hot morning!  Once again, I stood in one spot, did not move for many many many moments and then the Warbler came to splish splash!  Practicing patience paid off!  

I was on the move along a trail by the river when this Pelican was on the move above me.  I was not camera ready for what happened next.  It swooped down to the edge of the river and grabbed something, I am assuming a fish.   

This is what I captured by the time I was camera ready.

The Pelican is enjoying a big snack.  

Today seemed like a feeding frenzy for all.  I have been ignoring the Black-Capped Chickadees lately but I could not pass up snapping a shot of this little cutie when it stopped on the tree right beside me. 

Keeping my eyes open and investigating areas when there is lots of activity, I spied a tail sticking out of a nest high in a tree.  The tail looked like a tail I saw before.  

Then just like that, this Eastern Kingbird landed on a tree close by me.  I knew that tail!  This told me it was time to move on as there was precious cargo in the area.  I look forward to seeing a Baby Kingbird or two or three in the near future.  

Snack time for the Baby Robin even though the Baby is now bigger than its parent!

These two House Finches were entertaining!  I waited until they stopped doing what they were doing then snapped this photograph.  From what I was seeing, I thought the Male House Finch was feeding the Baby.  The lesson I learned today was this was courting behaviour.  I thought all that was over with and it was all about the babies now but that is not necessarily the case. 

This was what they were doing!  I watched for a lengthy time as it continued and then I thought enough is enough I need to get on with my day, you continue doing what your doing and they did as I walked away!  

What a day!  This is only a fraction of what I witnessed!  I know all this courting and baby watching will soon come to an end so I am taking full advantage to enjoy it all while it lasts.  I like to think I am becoming a more well rounded human with making great strides in practicing patience, thank you to the birds! 

new beginnings

 With changing seasons come new beginnings!

After close to three weeks of not being "out & about" locally, I was curious as to what transpired while I was away!  For these recent three days in a row, transitioning from official spring to official summer, I went in search of new beginnings. What I discovered along the way rendered me as wide eyed as the bug-eyed babies.  From my three favourite locations for "chasing & catching" Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Confluence Park, Carburn Park, I am sharing my sights of new beginnings!  

Note:  Baby ducks are obvious but sometimes I may not be 100% positive if what I think is a baby bird is a baby bird or not.  Baby bird give-aways can be the shape of the beak, the awkwardness and being fluffy balls of sweetness.  They tend to not move as I approach or flap away in a slow scattered like manner.  If that is their behaviour then I back away. This is what I use as my criteria to call it a baby bird or not. I still have lots to learn on this topic and I am open to being let known otherwise if my ids are incorrect.   

I open this post with a promo photo of a young Robin with its Mom.  I watched them for a few minutes. The young one stuck very close to the Mom, following her in every flight then perching by her side, all the while having something to say.   

This young Wood Duck nestled up close then eventually tucked in underneath Mom to join the five others that were already beneath her.  It was a little while later, I saw them swimming about in a tight knit group, the little ones too young yet to venture off in another direction on their own.  

This Downy Woodpecker is an example of where I made the ID of age from its looks and behaviour.  While it is full size, its feathers were not neat, tidy and as settled as an adults. It was not quick to move, yet when it did, it did with unsteadiness.   

While this is a full grown House Sparrow, it's just a baby!  It still has the odd beak shape and oh what a ball of fluff it was.  It was a sweet sight to see the Mom bring food to it.  It had lots to say just before she dove in with the treat.  

I saw on the e-bird website there were sightings of baby Red Breasted Nuthatches.  Now I can confirm there are babies.  I saw two, this is one of them.  I had to zoom in quite a bit to get this capture.  I knew it was a baby of a sort but it was when I got home I was able to make the confirmation of it being a baby Red Breasted Nuthatch. 

Obvious big baby!  House Sparrow!  There were a few hanging out and flitting about in the bushes.  Until the beak fully develops, it will have that sad looking look. 

Baby Wood Duck! Nap time!

I believe this to be a baby Clay-Coloured Sparrow!  Those frazzled looking feathers, being unsteady on its legs and not being quick to flee when I approached are the reasons I say this is a baby. I am just not 100% sure on making this call though! Like I said, I have lots to learn!

It's definitely a Robin!  I am making the call that it's a baby!  On a tree close by stood an obvious adult Robin that this one watched intently.  I waited! I watched! This one did not move, it had a few words here and there yet its feathers never settled!  

It's now a Juvenile Eagle! Back on May 5th, I shared photos of the Eaglet. Oh my how they grow!  While watching it and chatting with two bird enthusiasts, I learned this new eagle is believed to be a female because it is already larger than the Dad.  It is still being fed by both parents, it's very unsteady on its legs and will sit on the same branch in the same spot for hours on end.  It has not yet been shown how to dive for food.

Back and forth activity in the bushes by a Yellow Warbler led me to this sweet surprise.  There are four baby Yellow Warblers in the nest.  After this quick capture, off I went chasing again.   

This was a very vocal baby Northern Flicker!  Being high in the tree, I needed quite the zoom to capture this photo.  There appeared to be only the one baby.  Mom was back and forth with many treats.

I watched as this male Downy Woodpecker brought something to this hole in the tree. I heard squawking coming from the area then looked way up and spied this.  After the Woodpecker flew away.....

.....this head popped out!  That's not a Woodpecker!  My Bird ID App tells me it's a European Starling! Oh boy do I have lots to learn!   

These new beginnings that are coming 

with the changing of the seasons, 

are like a breathe of fresh air! 

over the Strawberry Moon

The full moon for June is called the Strawberry Moon and will be at peak illumination on Friday, June 21, 2024 at 7:10pm mountain time.  Best to check it when it is at its loftiest position of the night. This full moon is special this year as it coincides with summer solstice.  The same day the sun is at its highest of the year, the moon will be at its very lowest, it will be at the lowest its been in years.  In Alaska and in Iceland, the moon will not even clear the horizon, they will have no June full moon.  

This moon is close to the horizon, light has to pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere which gives the moon the reddish colour, hence the name.  Native American Tribes used the name Strawberry Moon because June is the time when strawberries ripen and are ready to be harvested.  

This is my watercolour painting of the Strawberry Moon.  It will represent June in my 2025 calendar.  I added a strawberry laying on its side in the centre of the moon. I painted it very close to the horizon and added pinkish glow near it.  Just like some of the other full moons I painted, I now see ways I could have improved the painting but at the time needed to declare it complete. 

For this painting, I used photos that I took while on a road trip to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in June of 2012  That was an incredible road trip through Idaho and into Wyoming where I spent time in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.  Working on this painting gave me the opportunity to relive this adventure.  

 Wherever I am on the evening of June 21st, 

I will be over the moon if I get to admire the full Strawberry Moon!

Amsterdam Austria Adventure June 2024 "A Final Framing"

Slowly but surely that jet lag embrace is loosening its grip although I'm not fully fighting it.  In the wee hours of these two mornings, I let my mind wander back to the first seventeen days of June and put together "A Final Framing" of this dream adventure!  I remember as a little girl, Austria looked like a world all of its own, a world away, unreachable, untouchable.  Right now, this trip to Amsterdam and Austria is so very fresh yet I am sure as the days, weeks and months pass, it will feel like a dream!  I will be sure to remember this dream that came true with the wonderful memories I made!

As I sat with my feet up donned in my new felt clog slippers, I perused though the 1700 special seconds in time that I captured and picked out a few from Amsterdam, Innsbruck and Neustift that very easily brought me back to that special second and made me feel the feeling I felt so vividly.  

Everything about Amsterdam and both Innsbruck & Neustift Austria far exceeded my expectations even though they were as I dreamed they might be.  This style of adventure suited me to a "T".  For the price paid to travel to this other world, I wanted no regrets or disappointments.  I was on my own time schedule.    The only times that were set in stone were flights and dining at the resort.   Never once did I feel uncomfortable or unsafe being in any location.  Even though at times in Amsterdam, I needed to use google maps to find my way around, I still needed at times to ask for additional help in finding my way.  Anyone I spoke with spoke fluent English and were very helpful.

I was so very fortunate that all accommodations, other than one, were ready upon my arrival even if I did arrive four hours earlier than check in time.  All four flights were on time, two with KLM and two with Transavia.  For all four flights the online check-in, baggage check, security and passport control were a breeze.  The one flight I was most anxious about was managing the whole process at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to fly back home.  I stayed at an airport hotel the night before.  The hotel shuttle left at 8:30 am, dropped me off at the airport at 8:40am, I did self baggage check, went through passport control, went through security, came out the other end.  I looked at my watch, it was 9:15am.  The two shuttle services that I used along with taxi services and taking a bus, all went well.  

The resort I stayed at in Neustift was absolutely amazing.  The employees were all so very friendly and all spoke english.  My room was extra special, it came with many added unique touches.  I enjoyed lots of time on the balcony savouring my morning coffee and sunrise, sipping a cold beer at the end of a hike and listening to the village turn quiet at night fall. I did not use any of the pools nor the spa nor the fitness facilities. The food was outstanding and all meals were included!  Breakfast was buffet style and included anything and everything you would want to start your day.  A few of the days I was back for a late lunch, it was buffet style also and there were more than enough delicious items to choose from. Dinner was another story!  It was by candle light with a fresh flower in a vase.  White linen covered the table.  At breakfast you picked your dinner choices.  The courses were called salad, starter, soup, main, desert. In amongst those there were breads, buns and cheeses if you so desired, which I did.  I had wine each evening which I paid extra for.  

Upon arrival for your first dinner, you are given a table and that is where you would sit for each of the breakfasts and dinners.  I got to know most of the people in my section. A couple from West Germany sat next to me, beside them was a young couple also from West Germany with a two year old boy and also a couple from London sat in my section. I met another couple from East Germany who sat in my area.  The couple from West Germany who sat by me for six of the seven days purchased a wood carving from a local carver who had his crafts on display in the lobby.  I wanted one, so went out and asked the gentleman if he had another one like theirs, he did not, he offered to make me one and would drop it off the next day.  This is mine, it says "in love with the mountains".  It is made from an Austrian stone pine tree.   

Also made from the Austrian stone pine tree is pine schnapps.  On the second last evening for the couple beside me, at the end of all the dinner courses, they offered to buy me a pine schnapps.  I accepted even though I had already had three glasses of wine.  We made a toast!  It was oh WOW delicious!  They told me the story out these pine trees.  They also told me if I dampen the piece of pine wood, the pine fragrance will fine the air, I tried it and oh WOW again!  

I made detailed maps of my walk and hikes in Neustift using the tracks recorded on my garmin and loaded them onto google earth.  They could use a little more work and detail but I am content with the outcome of each. I did not record my outing for the 10th.   

My laundry is all done and my suitcase is back in the basement.  My two hearts now hang on my fairy light tree.  I ate three stroopwafels so far. My journaling is complete, I paid the last visa payment and this blog post will be the last for this amazing adventure.  I will linger longer with the memories over the next little while. I'm not ready yet to let go of Austria!  The visions will fade as time passes but you can be sure I will be checking back here when I want to relive this dream!   

When the father from West Germany, in my dining section, told his young son Oscar, that I was from Canada away on the other side of the world, Oscar's eyes opened wide as did his month,  as if he knew what his Dad meant.  Maybe one day Oscar will dream that Canada is a world so far away, unreachable, untouchable but will wonder about it and will one day make an adventure dream trip to Canada come true!