Sod Hut - Period Posters, Doorway

Period posters from the sod hut, also a photo of the doorway.

Walls would be about 16 inches thick

I believe this is a Norwegian or Icelandic poster

I believe this is a Dutch poster

Birds - 9-15 May 2015

Blue Jay being fed

Brown Thrasher

Chipping Sparrow - House Sparrow

Chipping Sparrows

Ring Billed Gull

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Rose Breasted Grosbeaks

Song Sparrows

Yellow Rumped Warbler - Pine Siskin

Yellow Rumped Warbler 

Yellow Rumped Warbler 

Green Heron - July 2015

Was surprised to see this little Heron at Fort Whyte in July. My first sighting of a Green Heron. I didn't even notice it at first. Wasn't certain what it was until I zoomed in on it, then proceeded to take just a few hundred photos of it. It finally took off and headed away from me and out of sight. A few minutes later I caught movement in my peripheral vision, spun and saw it was the Heron. I took a series of in flight shots but the camera settings were wrong and they didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but was pleased they turned out as well as they did.
I saw the Heron once more a few weeks later flying at a distance. Hope to encounter it again next year.

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Surprise in flight encounter. The next 2 photos were the only in flight photos that turned out reasonably well.

Birds - 6 May 2015

12 Striped Ground Squirrel

Brown Headed Cowbird

Buffleheads

Canada Geese goslings

Chipping Sparrow

Harris's Sparrow

Mourning Dove

Pine Siskin

Robin

Wilson's Phalarope

Pie Billed Grebe, Red-tailed Hawk immature, Moth - 5 Sept 2015

Not much in the way of bird photos in the last few weeks. See lots of flocks of Blackbirds, Swallows, small gaggles of Geese and Ducks. But they are all fairly distant.
We saw a Great Egret a few weeks ago but didn't have our cameras. It was a pretty rare sighting here. Turns out they had two groups of Great Egrets nesting at 2 different lakes in Manitoba this year. First time they have been seen nesting here.
There is also a Sora still at the pond we frequent but we haven't been able to get any photos of it as yet. It seems to spend most of its time in the reeds around the edge of the pond and we only see it briefly as it moves across an open area between the reeds.
There are two Adult and one juvenile Coot at the pond we think we got some decent photos of the juvenile last night.
Here are some photos from last week.
Going to be busy next several weeks so there may not be any more posts until October.

Pied Billed Grebe
There have been two at the pond all summer but they are so small and distant we haven't been able to get a decent photo. These 3 photos are not the best but the Grebe was stationary then slowly sank out of sight. Something I've never seen one do before.

Red Tailed Hawk immature
This hawk was fairly cooperative and treated us to several displays of it hoovering while hunting. We chased it up and down the dirt road by the pond for about 20 minutes. 

Birds and a Garter Snake - 5 April 2015

Assorted birds and a Garter Snake from 5 April 2015.

Brown Headed Cowbird

Brown Headed Cowbird

Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher

Cackling Goose

Downy Woodpecker

Garter Snake
I was rather pleased but surprised that this Garter Snake sat still while I approached within just a few feet to take these photos. They usually disappear in a hurry.

Garter Snake

Mourning Dove
I was able to capture the gold flecking on the Doves neck in this photo. I have seldom seen this flecking.

Mourning Dove