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Happy #October 1st everyone. 🙂 Here’s a #photo of the #skyline of my #hometown #Calgary 🇨🇦. It was taken from a bend in the calm #Bow #River, looking east towards #downtown. #Blue is the main colour, with the #fall #foliage adding nice orange framing. Oh yes, and paddle boarders. #photography #city

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Taken in the early morning in late #September, looking south over the smooth surface of a river not far from #Calgary’s city limits. I’m a sucker for sunny #autumn days with no wind, especially when the #fall colours are reflected in water. Enjoy your Thursday, all. 🙂 #landscape #photography #nature

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For #MountainMonday here’s a September #photo of a #peak in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in #Alberta 🇨🇦 That is #Mount #Rae, the tallest peak in the immediate area (3,218 m/10,558 ft) & the highest front-range summit visible from #Calgary. [Click photo for more info] #photography #landscape #nature

Mount Rae was named in 1859 after Dr. John Rae (1813–1893), a Scottish surgeon, fur trader, & Arctic explorer. Employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, he was renowned for his extensive surveying of the Canadian Arctic coast. Mount Rae makes a nice backdrop to Elbow Lake, the source of the Elbow River, one of the two main rivers (along with the Bow) which flow through Calgary.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It’s the last Sunday in September. Time for an appropriate late-September #fall #photo I took south of #Calgary on a chilly, cloudy day. The mature #balsam #poplars and their hybrids dominate the yellow-gold #autumn this time of year. Have a great Sunday everyone! 🍂🍂🙂🍂🍂 #photography #nature

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Living in #Calgary 🇨🇦 means I am a 2 hour drive from the majestic #Canadian #Rockies. This is Mount #Caldron, overlooking a very turquoise #Peyto Lake in #Banff National #Park. Changing lens, I was able to photograph two hikers up close to where the glacial ice feeds the lake. #photography #nature

Mount Caldron (elevation: 2,911-metre / 9,551 ft) overlooks Peyto Lake in Banff National Park in the Alberta 🇨🇦 Rocky Mountains.

Two hikers checking out glacier-fed Peyto Lake near the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. Throughout the summer, large amounts of glacial rock flour descend into the lake from a nearby glacier. The resulting suspended rock particles give the lake its bright, turquoise colour.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

My road trip to the Canadian 🇨🇦 #Rocky #Mountains gave me #photos for a (wait for it 🥁) #WhymperWednesday. 😁 Two of these are of #Mount Whymper and the other is Mount #Stanley, the 1st ascent of both was made by #Edward #Whymper 🇬🇧, at age 60(!) in 1901. (Additional info in pics) #photography #nature

Mount Whymper makes a lovely backdrop for this morning photo taken across Vista Lake in Alberta 🇨🇦. You can see the mist rising above the lake where the rising sun has yet to burn it off. With no wind the surface of the water nicely reflects the British Columbia mountain.

Another view of Mount Whymper. (Elevation: 2,845-metre / 9,334 ft).
It can be found in the province of British Columbia, in the Vermilion Pass area of Kootenay National Park. It was named after Edward Whymper (-1840 - 1911), English mountaineer, explorer, illustrator, and author best known for his 1865 first ascent of the Matterhorn.

Stanley Peak (Elevation: 3,155-metre / 10,351 ft) is located in the northeastern section of Kootenay National Park, directly across the signage denoting the Continental Divide. It was named by Whymper, who was the first to reach its summit in 1901.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Happy end-of-summer, start-of-fall day everyone (#equinox today at 18:05 MDT). Although 3 months in length, #autumn in #Calgary can seem longer or shorter depending on the wind. Taken yesterday, this green #ash has turned #canary #yellow but has lost few leaves. That’ll soon change.🍃💨🍂 #Photography

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Here’s another #MountainMonday post, this time from the B.C. #Rocky #Mountains. 🇨🇦 This is #Vermilion #Peak (Elevation: 2,647 m / 8,684 ft), named for the vermilion (red-orange) ochre historically used by Indigenous peoples. Taken from the boardwalk of the #Paint #Pots trail. #Landscape #Nature

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

For #MountainMonday #Storm #Mountain in #Banff #National #Park makes a nice background rising above #Vista #Lake in the #Canadian #Rocky #Mountains. Taken Saturday at 8:48am, capturing the #mist rising off the lake, which is very green this time of year (see ALT for why). #photography #nature 🇨🇦

Vista Lake appears emerald green due to suspended glacial silt (extremely fine rock particles ground up by glaciers and carried into the lake by meltwater). As glaciers grind against bedrock, they produce microscopic mineral particles which stay suspended in the water. Sunlight interacts with the particles, producing the luminous green colour. The effect is strongest in summer.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Today at noon I saw this #Brandon #Elm on the University of #Calgary campus. I don’t know if anyone has labelled #yellow as today’s colour in here, but with this #tree putting on such a great summer’s-end/early-fall display it certainly should be, no? 😉 #photography #summer #September #nature

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Right now we’ve exactly 54 hours until the Sept. equinox, marking the start of astronomical autumn (Tue., 09/22/26 at 6:05pm MT). Monday I’ll post #mountain photos from Saturday’s road trip. Today? Here are Friday’s photos of #flowers at #Riley Park in #Calgary, where it’s still summer. #photography

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Just got home today from a drive out to the #Canadian #Rocky #Mountains. I am standing on the shore of #Vista #Lake in #Alberta this #morning, but the #reflected peak in the background is #Mount #Whymper (2,845 metres or 9,334 feet) in #British #Columbia. More to follow. #Nature #Photography #mirror

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This week last year I took this #photo not far from #Lake #Louise in the #Canadian 🇨🇦 #Rocky #Mountains. The spruce, pine and fir trees don’t change colour (you know - evergreen? 😉) but the ground cover can get some nice fall colours. I’m going there tomorrow. Photos to follow. 🙂 #photography #nature

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Silhouette huh? Okay, I think the #shadows of this #Canada #Goose couple qualifies. Don’t be shy, Friends & Followers, please take a gander at my #photo. 😁 #Photography #bird 🪶 #birds #wildlife #nature #wild 🇨🇦

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

A clear warm September day by a #lake with the #Canadian #Rocky #Mountains in the background. No wind, producing a mirror-like #reflection and a wisp of clouds in a blue sky. Someone somewhere bestowed on me the Right Place, Right Time moment of the day. 😊 #photography #nature #Alberta #Rockies 🇨🇦

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

In #Calgary it was a nice warm #summer day, so I thought I’d share this photo I’ve not posted before. Taken in July, it’s a young whitetail deer buck, standing in an #Alberta #canola field where he had been grazing. Have a great Thursday, everybody! 🙂 #photography #nature #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

so… @helenbennett.bsky.social has #BirdBuddies as a theme challenge - “Can you find two 'different' bird species sharing the same space!?” This #bald #eagle & #magpie on the south bank of the #Bow #River in #Calgary probably qualifies. (See ALT) #Photography #Nature #wild #bird 🪶 #birds #Canada 🇨🇦

So what’s happening here is the eagle takes flight, dives and snatches a fish out of the river, lands on these rocks and proceeds to feed on its catch. After eating the majority of the fish the eagle takes off, soars above the river and looks for a second course. When that happens the patient Magpie hops over and cleans up the scraps. It seems to be a good arrangement. 🙂

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For #MountainMonday, here’s #Crowfoot Mountain (elevation: 3,055 m / 10,023 ft), and Crowfoot #Glacier on its flank, forming the backdrop in this #September morning #photo of #Bow #Lake in #Banff National #Park, #Alberta 🇨🇦 Happy Labour Day everyone! #Rocky #Mountains #Landscape #photography #Canada

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Something different for Rob’s alternative #BirdOfTheDay theme of #SittingOnWater: a #summer #overhead of a young #Mallard #hen on a #pond on the #University of #Calgary. The sun’s #reflections and the #algae add help make it unique. 🙂 #duck #bird 🪶 #birds #photography #nature #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I see the #BirdOfTheDay theme is simply #flight. So here is my offering - a pair of #pelicans passed me while flying over #Frank #Lake, just east of #HighRiver, #Alberta #Canada 🇨🇦. They certainly are close to one another, no? Have a great weekend! #bird 🪶 #birds #photography #nature #wild #wildlife

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Helen’s #BirdOfTheDay is #BirdNaps Any bird caught snoozing, napping or just looking incredibly sleepy! This lovely #mallard #hen is indeed napping with one eye open, thanks to a specialized form of sleep called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS) [see Alt]. #bird 🪶 #photography #nature #wild

In USWS, one hemisphere of the brain enters a sleep state (typically slow-wave sleep) while the other remains more alert or only lightly sleeping. The open eye is generally the one linked to the more awake hemisphere, allowing the bird to monitor its surroundings for predators or obstacles. The visual pathways in birds are largely crossed, so input from the open eye reaches the more vigilant side of the brain.

Birds often sleep with both eyes closed when they feel safe (e.g., in the middle of a flock or a sheltered spot). They switch to one-eye-open sleep when more vigilance is needed.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

So… the #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Contrast. Well then! I took this on a very cold #Calgary day in January. Common #Ravens are year-round residents across #Alberta, and they thrive in #cold #winter conditions. #bird 🪶 #birds #photography #nature #Canada 🇨🇦 #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

This is my own #BirdOfTheDay post. I’ve posted many American Pelican photos I’ve taken in the #wild, but this female #Dalmatian #Pelican I had to #photograph at the #Calgary #Zoo. Native to Asia & Eastern Europe, they are the largest pelicans in the world (wingspan of 10.5+ ft) #bird 🪶 #birds

The zoo introduced 4 female Dalmatian Pelicans in 2024 (Volga, Adria, Kerkini, and Tisza). This is Volga. What adorable little webbed feet. 🙂

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I see #Caturday is still a popular hashtag. Now I’m not a contrarian, but what’s wrong with #Meerkaturday ? I photographed this cute fellow two months ago at the #Calgary #zoo.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Alan’s Alt #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Ducklings, “any Duckling will do.” All well and good, but this isn’t just ‘any’ duckling, it’s a young #Redhead. I know because there’s only one pair nesting in the pond near my home, and… here’s #baby! Taken on 06/21/26. #bird #photography #nature #wild #cute

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I see Helen Bennett has suggested a #BirdOfTheDay theme of #NoBranchWood, any bird on wood, that is not a branch! Here’s a #Mountain #Bluebird on an old fence post, taken on a warm #summer day in western #Alberta 🇨🇦, high up in the #foothills. #photography #bird 🪶 #nature #wild #BBirdName

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

I’ve not posted for 2 weeks, so yesterday this #mallard #hen, not only posing but appearing to smile (!) fit the bill for #MallardMonday. The green background is heavy algae coating a small pond at the University of #Calgary (and she loves it!). #bird 🪶 #birds #photography #duck #wild #nature

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

An interesting #BirdOfTheDay theme today: #OneTwoThreeFour, 4 photos with 1, 2, 3, 4 birds, with each photo being the same bird/s. 🤔Fortunately on June 29 last year there were many #American #Pelicans on #Frank #Lake, #Alberta 🇨🇦. Enjoy your weekend folks. 🙂 #Bird 🪶 #Photography #nature #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

@robcrank68.bsky.social has made #yellow the #alt #bird #theme for today’s #BirdOfTheDay, so from #East #Africa (but happily thriving in numbers at the #Calgary #Zoo) is the #Taveta #Golden #Weaver. Here’s a male #nest construction worker , taken last month. #Photography 🪶 #birdphotography

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

July and August are great months to photograph a #checkerspot #butterfly in Alberta 🇨🇦. Taken on a trail in a meadow near the B.C. border and the Rocky Mountains. This beauty was kind enough to stretch out its wings long enough for me to capture this. #photography #nature #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Rob has #Gulls as the #theme for today’s #BirdOfTheDay, adding, “any Gull will do.” This #photo I took in May is not of just any #gull. When I let my mind wander to thoughts of #anthropomorphism I see a bullied little fellow paying a protection fee for some muscle. 🤣 #Photography #nature #bird 🪶

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

I’m going to combine today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #SummerLovin, #bird captures taken during #summer alongside #MallardMonday & offer these two #Mallard #hens, taken (checks watch) 15 hours ago at a #pond near my #Calgary home. The sunlight was perfect. 🙂 #photography 🪶 #birds #nature #wild #duck 🇨🇦

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

This sunny morning I saw a parent #coot in a pond near my #Calgary home as well as a month-old #chick. The other two photos are the same #birds, taken in late June when the youngster was but a few days old. Note the adult’s non-web like feet! #photography #bird 🪶 #nature #wild #Alberta 🇨🇦 #Canada

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Sometimes a little atmospheric haze can become a favourable filter. Mid-afternoon in mid-July: a #photo of the #Alberta #foothills with the #Rocky #Mountains in the close distance. I hope everyone out there is enjoying this #summer #weekend. #nature #landscape #photography #Canada 🇨🇦 #Rockies

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

@robcrank68.bsky.social has set today’s Alt theme of the #BirdOfTheDay as #BlueSky, any #bird with a Blue Sky in the background. This #Mountain #Bluebird on the rotting roof of a deserted shack in the rural woods of the #Alberta 🇨🇦 #foothills is my offering. #Photography #nature #wild 🪶 #camo

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I photographed this health conscious #White-tailed #Deer in a #Canola field in central #Alberta 🇨🇦 last July. Besides being high in protein, raw #canola is a good source of vitamin C, K, beta-carotene, folate, calcium, iron, fiber, magnesium, potassium. 😉 #photography #wildlife, #summer. #Canada

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay themes are: #PerfectPoise, photos where balance + posture tell a story, & #MomentsOfMajesty: elegant, regal or commanding poses. I think this #bald #eagle #photo I took in May above the #Bow #River in #Calgary fits both. #photography #bird 🪶 #nature #raptor #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme set by @alan678.bsky.social are #AmongTheRipples #birds on water. If not for the ripples created by this #Redhead you would not get the #blue #sky reflected in the #photo. And that colour nicely matches his bill. #bird 🪶 #photography #nature #wild #Alberta 🇨🇦 #waterfowl

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Because Saturday’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #contortionist, allow me to present two #American #Pelicans on a sandbar in #Frank #Lake, #Alberta 🇨🇦, distorting themselves while two non-misshapen #mates stand idly by. 🙂 #photography #nature #bird 🪶 #birds #wild #summer

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

For my “BirdOfTheDay I’m going to my “Not From Around Here” photos. I took this #photo of an #African #Spoonbill at the #Calgary #Zoo a couple of weeks ago. Happy to report it is classified LC (Least Concerned) on the conservation scale. #Bird 🪶 #Birds #photography

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #orange. The #robins we have here in #Calgary are nowhere near as colourful as ones elsewhere, but this guy (taken last spring on the north bank of the #Bow #River) managed to fit the bill. #Photography #nature #wild #yyc #bird 🪶 #birds

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Alan has suggested #Cutie for Monday’s #BirdOfTheDay. Here is a young #Redhead chick, swimming by itself (its parents were watching from a reasonable distance). I shot this yesterday. The sky & clouds reflected in the water’s motion make a nice texture. #Bird 🪶 #Photography #nature #wild #pond

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Here’s a wee bit of a cheat on today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Ebony&Ivory. You can clearly see #WHITE #plumage and… this is a female #red-winged #BLACKbird. Sorry, @robcrank68.bsky.social, but I took this #photo yesterday and really wanted to post it. 😉 #photography #bird 🪶 #nature #wild #Calgary 🇨🇦

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Yesterday’s post set today’s up. “Does a #duck quack?” + “Is the Pope Catholic?” are examples of a sarcastic interrogative used instead of saying, “yes.”However, not all ducks quack; for example, this #White-faced #Whistling Duck. (Click on photo for info) Now you know. 🙂 #birdphotography #bird 🪶

A White-faced Whistling Duck, photographed recently at the Calgary Zoo. Native to Madagascar, parts of Africa and throughout South America, and is known for its high pitched whistling call.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

So… today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Quackers, any #duck will do (Not all ducks quack though 🧐). This #Lesser #Scaup barreling towards me qualifies though, he was quite noisy! 🙂 #photography #bird 🪶 #birds #nature #wild #waterfowl #Calgary #Alberta #Canada 🇨🇦

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

A rare sports post from me the day before Canada 🇨🇦 faces Morocco 🇲🇦 in the round of 16 of the 2026 #FIFA #WorldCup. To all naysayers in my country (most with heavy Scottish accents 😉), Canada is ranked 30th in the world; Morocco 6th. The ranking differential is 24. An upset wouldn’t be that shocking.

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

The large Canadian flag at Canada Olympic Park needs a major breeze to look like this. Fortunately the wind cooperated when I shot this. Happy 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇦 Day! 159 years ago our country was confederated. 🥳🎂🎉😘🎈

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #TheArtOfSurvival. This young #female #Mallard was thriving in this algae filled #pond. She was scurrying and submerging and she stayed here for hours. There was no other #bird present, it was her own little green playground. 🙂#photography 🪶 #birds #nature #wild #duck

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Happy Monday all! I see Rob’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BestOfJune26. I can’t decide between the #Redhead #drake I photographed on June 3 and the #Coot parent feeding a very young #chick on #June 21. Both #photos were taken at a #pond near my #Calgary home. 🙂 #photography #nature #bird 🪶 #wild

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GordonI @gordoni.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Taken at 10:48pm 4 days ago. This is the steeple of Parafia Matki Bożej Królowej Pokoju (Our Lady Queen of Peace) in #Calgary, lit up dramatically in bright green (or America Flag Blue to some crackpots 😉). The Polish Catholic #Church was built around 1968 with a somewhat unique architectural style.

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