July's First Impressions

It's important to make a good first impression during initial introductions!  Well, July is doing exactly that!  Being "out & about" is much more fulfilling when the air is fresh from recent rain and greens are greener than green.  

😀It's been awhile since I wandered about throughout Confluence Park.  I knew there would be lots of water to work around so I went prepared or at least I thought I did.  My old hiking shoes are no longer water proof.   

Spotting a young coyote was the highlight of this wander.  It was enjoying nature as much as I was.  I saw it exit a big bushy area licking its lips.  I am assuming it savoured a treat of some sort while in the bush.  

It was not in much of a rush to go anywhere until a bird flew in and gave it a piece of its mind!

Back in January of 2021, I learned how to draw a coyote with coloured pencils.  Now it was time to try my hand at painting one with watercolours.  I used a photo from the above collage as a reference.  When I look at this painting, I have a feeling I might think it was a deer if there was not the reference photo to compare it to. I'm not sure what else I could do to make it look more coyote-like!

😀  Long before rush hour traffic, I hit the Deerfoot "500!!!" with hopes of having a smooth sail and that I did!  I made it to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in record time and it was even a work day.  

Being in the right place at the right time afforded me a sighting that was in the wrong place at the wrong time!  Early into my meander, I looked down from the tree tops to see something very colourful scurry into the brush not far from my feet.  There was no movement in the brush so whatever that was had to be very close to me.  I pushed aside some of the bushes and spotted this.  I frantically waved to two fellows who were coming my way, to come quickly. One of the fellows I see all the time while I am out birding.  I showed them what I found and that was what they had come here on this morning to find.  They told me it's a Golden Pheasant and the day prior it was spotted by another birder who shared a photo of it on social media.  It does not belong here.  It either escaped from some place like the zoo or more probably someone who had it as a pet no longer wanted it and choose to dispose of it here.   It will not survive out in the wild.  We backed off and gave it space.  I went on with my meander leaving the two fellows there.   

There was so  much more to see here!  I believe this is an Adult Cedar Waxwing on the left and a baby juvenile) on the right. Or could it be two babies!  I don't know!  I just know they were not singing like the adults do and they did not move even when I got very, very close.   I did not zoom in very much at all to capture this photograph.  

Is this a Father, Child and Mother?  

These House Finches stayed together the entire time I watched as they flew about.

Another family affair!  This is a baby House Sparrow with Mom.

Another big baby!  Here we have a Northern Rough-winged Swallow.  It was just a little ball of fluff, sitting there for the longest time.  It had nothing to say.  

Do you see what I see?

It is a House Wren.

This was the first time I ever saw a Double-crested Cormorant swimming in the Lagoon.  I have seen them plenty of times in the river.   One of the fellows I saw earlier came along and he told me with the construction here last year, the river now better flows into the Lagoon bringing with it more fish and more birds and ducks.  

This is my version of the Double-crested Cormorant.  

I want to keep at the watercolour painting so for now sticking with easy projects. 

😀The Golden Pheasant was on my mind when I woke this morning.  I went back to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary to see if I could see it.  I knew the exact location where I saw it and went there first.  It was no where to be seen.  Now I wonder what may have happened to it!  Was it hiding deeper in the brush, did it move to another location or maybe someone rescued it.  

I moved on to see what else I could see!  

This beaver was having a grand swim.   

A few times while at The Sanctuary over the past couple of months, I saw male Baltimore Orioles.  Well today I saw a female and two babies.  I was not sure what I was seeing so as soon as I got home I downloaded my photos then used the Bird ID App to make the ID.  This is a baby Baltimore Oriole.  

Then I saw another baby Baltimore Oriole looking down.  Oh my gosh it was the cutest thing.  It was not until I looked down that I saw.....

.....the female Baltimore Oriole!  

The baby was looking down at the Mom who was foraging for snacks for her babies.  

On all of the above three outings, I saw lots more than what I shared here.  The others were all the usual suspects.  I decided to just go with a few highlights this time.  Speaking of highlights, I have another highlight to look forward to in coming days.   

Luxury is in the eye of the beholder!  

Stay Tuned!