Eared Grebe & baby - a photo on Flickriver

Eared Grebe & baby

Saturday, 6 July 2019, 5:15 pm - here comes the rain and thunder. Our weather forecast for today, 6 July 2019, from the Weather Network:

"A multi-day severe storm threat looms for the Prairies. This weekend is ripe with storm risk, with Saturday's thunderstorms set to fire for the afternoon and evening, along with some tornado chance on the table for southern Alberta -- something visitors to the Calgary Stampede should keep an eye on."

This morning, 6 July 2019, I am posting 7 more photos taken three days ago, on a drive south to Frank Lake. Yet again, when I checked the weather forecast, it said continuing rain for day after day after day. However, the sun was shining when I decided to drive south. The clouds were sufficiently photogenic for me to change my plans and, instead of calling in at the Saskatoon Farm, I drove straight to the Lake.

The previous time I was at Frank Lake, there was one Coot, two Canada Geese, and a Red-winged and a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Two days ago, it was so much better! The Barn Swallows were there, having built their nest a few feet away from their previous nest site. The Eared Grebes had their tiny, adorable babies, sometimes riding on their back, other times swimming separately. Same thing with the Coots - some had very young babies; others had somewhat older youngsters. One Coot adult and baby were walking in thick mud, searching for food. They both looked such a mess, as if they had rolled in the mud. A pair of Western Grebes could be seen far in the distance.

"In the fall, almost the entire population of Eared Grebes flies to Mono Lake, California, or Great Salt Lake, Utah, to fatten up on brine shrimp and alkali flies before migrating farther south. Here they more than double their weight, and the sizes of their muscles and organs change. The pectoral (chest) muscles shrink to the point of flightlessness and the digestive organs grow significantly. Before departure for the wintering grounds, the process reverses; the digestive organs shrink back to about one-fourth their peak size, and the heart and pectoral muscles grow quickly to allow for flight." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eared_Grebe/overview

The sky began to change - the white clouds were taken over by rather menacing black ones and it became windy and the rain started. I really didn't want to drive back home on the very busy highway in pouring rain, but after waiting and hoping for it to end, I eventually had no choice but to risk it. As it turned out, there was hardly any traffic going north.

It has been raining on and off for something like three weeks now, and everyone is tired of the rain. The famous 9-day Calgary Stampede runs from 5-14 July this year and rain during Stampede makes things so unpleasant! Judging by my Stampede photos posted on Flickr, I haven't been since 2013, when I went with my daughter - surely it hasn't been that long? I know I haven't been the last few years, as it was feeling just too much to deal with. Happy to be away from the huge masses of people and the sickening smell of grease, ha, ha! Of course, not going means not getting any mini-donuts, too. Happy Stampeding, everyone! May the sun shine ....

Taken on: July 3, 2019

Tags:

Alberta

Canada

SE of Calgary

nature

wildlife

ornithology

avian

bird

birds

water bird

waterfowl

Grebe

Eared Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Podicipediformes

Podicipedidae

Podiceps

breeding plumage

golden plumes

adult

side view

red eyes

baby

swimming

water

lake

reflection

patterns

outdoor

summer

3 July 2019

Canon

SX60

Canon SX60

Powershot

annkelliott

Anne Elliott

Sets appears in: • Frank Lake, 3 July 2019 • Canon SX60 more » • Frank Lake & area • Birds of Alberta 11 • Eared Grebe / Podiceps nigricollis « less

Groups appears in: • Bird Lovers • PHOTOGRAPHERS OF CANADA more » • Birds , Birds Birds • Beauty of Nature • *I Love Birds* • All things beautiful in Nature (no humans or man made objects) • Beautiful Capture • BIRDS ARE BEAUTIFUL. • !!FlickrGreen ~ Everyday is Earth Day!! • Birding In The Wild • Beautiful Expression • Birdshare • Burdr • Canon SX30 / SX40 / SX50 / SX60 / SX70 • Any kind of wildlife/nature • Canon SX40 to SX70 and other Canon SX Bridge Cameras « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, f/6.3, 1/200 sec, 211.6mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Lens:	3.8-247.0 mm
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	211.6mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 12.0 Windows
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