HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL, everyone! This morning, the sky is somewhat overcast , and the temperature is 6°C (43°F), supposed to rise to 10°C (50°F) this afternoon. Rain is in the forecast.

This beautiful Helmeted Guineafowl, along with several others, two or three Turkeys and different kinds of chickens, lives at the Saskatoon Farm. This interesting place is maybe a 20-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary, and I decided to make a quick visit there yesterday, 21 September 2016. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. These resident birds are also fun to see. The Farm also has a restaurant that offers great food - I had a delicious meal of quiche and sweet potato fries. Quite a few people hold their weddings here.

www.saskatoonfarm.com/

"The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It breeds in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies and southern France.... While guineafowl are native to Africa, the Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl

“Frequently domesticated and included in exotic bird collections, the helmeted guineafowl is an easily recognizable bird and the most widespread game bird in Africa. In other parts of the world, feral and farm populations of these birds can be frequently seen and escapees are regular.”

birding.about.com/od/Grouse-Quail-And-Pheasants/p/Helmete...