Our main objective was to get there in time for Linda's birthday as what she particularly wanted to do to mark this 'significant' milestone was to eat at her favourite restaurant in Longview with her 'baby' sister Janet. This below is what no sleep for 3 days, 10 hours in an empty, closed airport and no hope of flying does to the happy traveller...
Anyway... enough of all that! We eventually made it in time... just!
Our first big trip out was to Fish Creek Provincial Park near Calgary. It's a stunning place and stretching to over 11 miles from East to West it's one of the largest urban parks in North America. There are miles of cycling paths, walking trails, masses of trees, ponds, creeks and an abundance of wildlife, some of which we managed to get quite close to...
Linda and Janet had much catching up to do which gave me time to take about 4 million pictures. Oh yeah... the wildlife I mentioned... Our anxiousness to get there was due to this -
Janet and Eamonn had been here several times already and told us about the smaller birds of the parks being hungry enough to take food out of their hands. They discovered this when one pinched a crumb from Janet's sandwich and then came back for more. Janet got busy right away with this Red-Breasted Nuthatch. Then the birthday girl joined in.
It was such a thrill to get so close and such a privilege to feel how delicate these little chaps were on our fingers and each time we moved along a few hundred yards we were greeted by more...
At one particular corner they were almost queing up and as one took off, another one landed. They only ever stayed for a matter of seconds but it was enough to enjoy the magic.
The most common visitor to our hands were the Black-Capped Chickadees, similar in size, appearance and song to some of the larger Tits that we get back at home.
It's amazing how much seed they can get in their tiny beaks!
I love this next shot! "Here I am... My turn! My turn!..."
Linda's favourite was this White-Breasted Nuthatch. He was something of an acrobat and when not feeding from our hands he was climbing up tree trunks or hanging upside down from a branch. They nest in holes in the trees and deter predators like squirrels and snakes by smearing insects around the entrance. 
We saw a good number of these around the park and this one in particular appeared to be following Janet for while.
He was quite a poser!
As we strolled around we saw other locals too, I tried MANY times to get a good photograph of a 'Gopher', or to give this one his proper name, a Richardson's Ground Squirrel. Alas, they are very VERY shy and kept running away from me.
We went back to the park for a second visit during our holiday and although there was still some snow on the ground, the sun shone for us most of the way around and the inhabitants didn't disappoint us.
While Linda and Janet went about feeding the birds I went off to see what else I could spot... I followed this lovely little Downy Woodpecker for ages and eventually managed to get close enough for this.
This is a North American Robin, you wouldn't want this fellow pinching the top of your milk though, he's about the size of a Mistle Thrush. 
The most bizzare sight greeted us around one corner, a Canada Goose had built it's nest on top of an old tree stump. This was about 12 feet in the air and looked so strange.
Janet's little pal stealing a whole nut.
We walked over towards the Bow River and yet more Nuthatches appeared.
After we'd spoken SO much about the fact that we'd never seen a goose up a tree before and how unusual it was etc, we saw this...
Yes! Another Canada Goose, up a tree! Somehow it just seemed wrong to us! It looked SO odd for a web-footed bird the size of a small car to be sitting on a branch.It really is a lovely park and we only just scratched the surface of it. Janet and Eamonn have seen Mule Deer in there and Great Horned Owls and there are apparently beavers, muskrats, coyote and garter snakes seen regularly according to the information boards. Oh... and the occasional cougar!
The picture above sums up our visits for me. It was a special experience and several hours of pure tranquility and undisturbed peace that'l I'll always treasure.
I'll close this note with a couple of further shots of the real stars of this park for you to enjoy!
Yes!! I got him :-)
