Wildlife

Sand Hill Cranes

April 28, 2012 By Annie

I have tried so many times over the last six years to get some good photos of the Sandhill Cranes that come to the Valley each Spring. It is so hard to get some good shots. The other day, I tried again. These are the best photos I have taken so far. (No, I don’t use Photoshop…it is what it is)

It figures that later that same day I saw them on the pasture next door. Would have got some great pictures but didn’t have the camera down at the barn with me.

Early each Spring, we hear the cranes arriving. They have a very distinctive call and they have a huge wing span when you see them come flying in. They are amazing to watch. They have their young here, right out in our pastures.

Later, they teach the little ones how to fly and by Fall, they head out again, going somewhere South. The following year, the babies also come back to start their own families in our fields.

It’s a bird watchers paradise here at this time of year. Ducks, Canada geese, American Bitturns and lots of other birds come here for early Spring. By the time we hay our fields in the Valley, the young all know how to fly and their parents take them elsewhere to show them how to catch their food.

Filed Under: Cariboo, Wildlife

Wilds Birds of our Valley

December 8, 2011 By Annie

Yesterday’s pictures of Herons in Flight started me thinking of some of the birds we see in the Valley.

Someday I am going to have to get much better with my photogaphy, because of all the beautiful wild birds we see flying around in the Cariboo.

The overgrown Pastures that we look out upon are nesting places for many ducks, Canada Geese, Sandhill Cranes and oodles of others. Our porch is a great place to sit on a late Spring afternoon, bird watching.

Here’s just a few pictures of the hundreds of different birds that fly along our Valley.

Two Chickadees

We always have lots of Hummingbirds – they were used to eating across the road at the neighbour’s place. Then she moved and so they keep coming to our house now.

A beautiful Stellar’s Jay sitting on the porch rail

I don’t know what kind of bird this little one is. Hopefully someone who reads this may know. Edited: It’s a Barn Swallow, thank you Northern AB Gal.

Last Spring when I was hardening off seedlings on the nice warm porch, I caught this little guy checking out the plant progress. This one is a Evening Grosbeak – thanks to Northern AB gal for helping out.

A WhiskeyJack – he’s probably more interested in da Wolf’s food dish than the small seeds in the birdhouse. Sure is beautiful though.

Filed Under: Wildlife

Herons

December 7, 2011 By Annie

We have a couple of resident Herons here – they like to perch in one of the neighbour’s cedar trees.

Often, just one Heron will be in the tree at a time. I don’t think they have a nest there, as a nest would be large enough for me to easily see it.

The other day, the two Herons were flying around together.

I got lucky and got a few nice pictures.

When we moved to our Valley, we saw a lot of birds that I had never seen before. Then, one of my sons gave me a gift of a Birdhouse.

Then, a late friend of ours gifted us with another Birdhouse.

Now I’m a birder! Sad to say, I never really paid that much attention to birds when I was younger, but I am making up for it now. I love seeing new birds and finding out what kind they are.

Are you a birder?