https://www.ipernity.com/group/352375/doc https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/77/60/352375.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/group/352375/doc This is for photos taken at the Calgary Zoo. Please keep it clean and relevant to animals at the zoo. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:55:58 +0000 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:55:58 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47438564/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2018-10-07,doc-47438564 Sun, 07 Oct 2018 15:41:36 +0000 2018-10-05T14:09:46-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47438564/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/64/47438564.134e25b7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">HAPPY THANKSGIVING!<br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 5 October 2018, I made the most of a few hours of mixed sunshine and cloud, and made a visit to the Zoo yesterday. I find that a bright, sunny day gives more light inside the Conservatory. Not that it really mattered, as there were only three tropical butterflies left - and those three were being harassed by several young children, so I came home with just one butterfly photo. The tropical plants were in better shape and offered lots of cheery colour. Mainly because I got to the Zoo part way through the afternoon, I got no further than the Conservatory, which is always my favourite place. <br /> <br /> This visit, I did see two Red Pandas and the beautiful Giant Pandas (that are on loan to the Zoo for five (?) years). The Red Pandas are not always outside and visible, so I was happy to catch one climbing a tree. They really are beautiful animals and their long, bushy tail comes in handy to wrap around and keep the animal warm.<br /> <br /> "The Snow Leopard cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> "The total wild population of the snow leopard is estimated at between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals. In 1972, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened Species as "Endangered," the same classification given the panda and the tiger.....There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> There are also 600-700 snow leopards in zoos around the world.<br /> <br /> Gobi, the baby Bactrian Camel was snuggled next to one of his parents. Managed to catch one of the Japanese Macaques when it was down on the ground, though the double wire fencing makes photos a challenge. A new addition to the Zoo is a Pallas's Cat. These animals look so funny/cute, and I was really hoping to see it, but it was curled up inside a dark log, with just its tail protruding. <br /> <br /> I was so thankful that I made this one last visit to the Zoo till next spring, as I found out that 'my' parking lot closes in a couple of days' time. This always happens each winter, and the other, main lot is out of my driving comfort zone.</div> Snow Leopard / Panthera uncia <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47438564/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/64/47438564.134e25b7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">HAPPY THANKSGIVING!<br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 5 October 2018, I made the most of a few hours of mixed sunshine and cloud, and made a visit to the Zoo yesterday. I find that a bright, sunny day gives more light inside the Conservatory. Not that it really mattered, as there were only three tropical butterflies left - and those three were being harassed by several young children, so I came home with just one butterfly photo. The tropical plants were in better shape and offered lots of cheery colour. Mainly because I got to the Zoo part way through the afternoon, I got no further than the Conservatory, which is always my favourite place. <br /> <br /> This visit, I did see two Red Pandas and the beautiful Giant Pandas (that are on loan to the Zoo for five (?) years). The Red Pandas are not always outside and visible, so I was happy to catch one climbing a tree. They really are beautiful animals and their long, bushy tail comes in handy to wrap around and keep the animal warm.<br /> <br /> "The Snow Leopard cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> "The total wild population of the snow leopard is estimated at between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals. In 1972, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened Species as "Endangered," the same classification given the panda and the tiger.....There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> There are also 600-700 snow leopards in zoos around the world.<br /> <br /> Gobi, the baby Bactrian Camel was snuggled next to one of his parents. Managed to catch one of the Japanese Macaques when it was down on the ground, though the double wire fencing makes photos a challenge. A new addition to the Zoo is a Pallas's Cat. These animals look so funny/cute, and I was really hoping to see it, but it was curled up inside a dark log, with just its tail protruding. <br /> <br /> I was so thankful that I made this one last visit to the Zoo till next spring, as I found out that 'my' parking lot closes in a couple of days' time. This always happens each winter, and the other, main lot is out of my driving comfort zone.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47438544/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2018-10-06,doc-47438544 Sat, 06 Oct 2018 12:53:33 +0000 2018-10-05T16:09:45-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47438544/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/44/47438544.5346a278.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="182" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not my favourite way to start an early morning - a Blue Screen of Death on my computer while I was uploading my photos. Good news, however, as far as the hacking/scamming of my computer about two weeks ago is concerned. I managed to get my money refunded from the 'company', which is great!<br /> <br /> As you can tell from this morning's postings, I made the most of a few hours of mixed sunshine and cloud, and made a visit to the Zoo yesterday, 5 October 2018. I find that a bright, sunny day gives more light inside the Conservatory. Not that it really mattered, as there were only three tropical butterflies left - and those three were being harassed by several young children, so I came home with just one butterfly photo. The tropical plants were in better shape and offered lots of cheery colour.<br /> <br /> Mainly because I got to the Zoo part way through the afternoon, I got no further than the Conservatory, which is always my favourite place. This time, I did see two Red Pandas and the beautiful Giant Pandas that are on loan to the Zoo for five (?) years. Gobi, the baby Bactrian Camel was snuggled next to one of the adults. Managed to catch one of the Japanese Macaques when it was down on the ground, though the double wire fencing makes photos a challenge. A new addition to the Zoo is a Pallas's Cat. These animals look so funny/cute, but yesterday it was curled up inside a dark log, with just its tail protruding. <br /> <br /> I was so thankful that I made this one last visit to the Zoo till next spring, as I found out that 'my' parking lot closes in a couple of days' time. This always happens each winter, and the other, main lot is out of my driving comfort zone.</div> Gobi, baby Bactrian Camel <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47438544/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/44/47438544.5346a278.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="182" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not my favourite way to start an early morning - a Blue Screen of Death on my computer while I was uploading my photos. Good news, however, as far as the hacking/scamming of my computer about two weeks ago is concerned. I managed to get my money refunded from the 'company', which is great!<br /> <br /> As you can tell from this morning's postings, I made the most of a few hours of mixed sunshine and cloud, and made a visit to the Zoo yesterday, 5 October 2018. I find that a bright, sunny day gives more light inside the Conservatory. Not that it really mattered, as there were only three tropical butterflies left - and those three were being harassed by several young children, so I came home with just one butterfly photo. The tropical plants were in better shape and offered lots of cheery colour.<br /> <br /> Mainly because I got to the Zoo part way through the afternoon, I got no further than the Conservatory, which is always my favourite place. This time, I did see two Red Pandas and the beautiful Giant Pandas that are on loan to the Zoo for five (?) years. Gobi, the baby Bactrian Camel was snuggled next to one of the adults. Managed to catch one of the Japanese Macaques when it was down on the ground, though the double wire fencing makes photos a challenge. A new addition to the Zoo is a Pallas's Cat. These animals look so funny/cute, but yesterday it was curled up inside a dark log, with just its tail protruding. <br /> <br /> I was so thankful that I made this one last visit to the Zoo till next spring, as I found out that 'my' parking lot closes in a couple of days' time. This always happens each winter, and the other, main lot is out of my driving comfort zone.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47030412/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-20,doc-47030412 Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:56:33 +0000 2018-06-26T15:08:48-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47030412/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/04/12/47030412.d234f4c8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The last but one time that I visited the Calgary Zoo was on 6 October 2015. I used to go fairly often, but my usual parking lot and Zoo entrance then closed for the winter. Since then, road construction and bridge replacement have been going on, but have now been completed. The drive to the north entrance of the Zoo is definitely out of my driving comfort zone, so I had been waiting for this day for a long time. June 26th 2018 was THE day - for me and for half the people in the city!! It was packed! I had decided to go before schools close for the summer. However, I suspect some schools had end-of-term Zoo visits on this day. Also, when I checked the weather forecast, rain was in the forecast for the next six days, so I knew i needed to go straight away. <br /> <br /> My visit only covered about half the Zoo, as I usually spend a lot of time in the Conservatory, enjoying the plants and tropical butterflies. My daughter had taken a photo of a gigantic lily pad, Victoria Water Lily / Victoria amazonica, and I really wanted to see it. There were three or four of these in a tiny pool. I love the pattern on the underside of the upturned edge of each lily pad, I didn't see a huge variety of butterfly species that day, but there were enough to keep me happily clicking for a while. They vary from day to day, as new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises..<br /> <br /> My intention had not been to visit the newly arrived Panda family, as I was sure there would be an extremely long line-up. However, I could see that there was no line-up at all and I was able to just walk in, which was great. How lucky we are to have these four amazing animals visit our Zoo. They were in an inside enclosure, full of plants - and Bamboo, of course. I'm not sure how many hours a day these animals sleep, but two of the three that could be seen slept for part of the time I was there. Had to smile at the very uncomfortable positions in which they slept. Part of the enclosure has glass, which made it almost impossible to get photos without the reflections of the crowds of people. <br /> <br /> The Bactrian Camel had recently given birth to a baby, named Gobi - such a cute little thing. No sign of the Red Pandas when I passed their enclosure. One of the birds I love to see - though these birds tend to hide! - is the amazing Himalayan Monal. The male, especially, takes my breath away each time I see it.<br /> <br /> A few hours well spent happily clicking. Hopefully, it won't be almost three years before my next visit, though the west entrance does close each winter. It felt so good to once again be back in a place full of colour and interest.</div> Chameleon <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47030412/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/04/12/47030412.d234f4c8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The last but one time that I visited the Calgary Zoo was on 6 October 2015. I used to go fairly often, but my usual parking lot and Zoo entrance then closed for the winter. Since then, road construction and bridge replacement have been going on, but have now been completed. The drive to the north entrance of the Zoo is definitely out of my driving comfort zone, so I had been waiting for this day for a long time. June 26th 2018 was THE day - for me and for half the people in the city!! It was packed! I had decided to go before schools close for the summer. However, I suspect some schools had end-of-term Zoo visits on this day. Also, when I checked the weather forecast, rain was in the forecast for the next six days, so I knew i needed to go straight away. <br /> <br /> My visit only covered about half the Zoo, as I usually spend a lot of time in the Conservatory, enjoying the plants and tropical butterflies. My daughter had taken a photo of a gigantic lily pad, Victoria Water Lily / Victoria amazonica, and I really wanted to see it. There were three or four of these in a tiny pool. I love the pattern on the underside of the upturned edge of each lily pad, I didn't see a huge variety of butterfly species that day, but there were enough to keep me happily clicking for a while. They vary from day to day, as new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises..<br /> <br /> My intention had not been to visit the newly arrived Panda family, as I was sure there would be an extremely long line-up. However, I could see that there was no line-up at all and I was able to just walk in, which was great. How lucky we are to have these four amazing animals visit our Zoo. They were in an inside enclosure, full of plants - and Bamboo, of course. I'm not sure how many hours a day these animals sleep, but two of the three that could be seen slept for part of the time I was there. Had to smile at the very uncomfortable positions in which they slept. Part of the enclosure has glass, which made it almost impossible to get photos without the reflections of the crowds of people. <br /> <br /> The Bactrian Camel had recently given birth to a baby, named Gobi - such a cute little thing. No sign of the Red Pandas when I passed their enclosure. One of the birds I love to see - though these birds tend to hide! - is the amazing Himalayan Monal. The male, especially, takes my breath away each time I see it.<br /> <br /> A few hours well spent happily clicking. Hopefully, it won't be almost three years before my next visit, though the west entrance does close each winter. It felt so good to once again be back in a place full of colour and interest.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44325494/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2017-02-15,doc-44325494 Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:13:38 +0000 2014-09-28T13:49:30-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44325494/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/54/94/44325494.0d5e8435.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I have been taking so few photos recently, so am now having to dig into my archives most of the time. The few times I have been out, I have either seen nothing or nothing that I can photograph. Now, there are very urgent things that need to be done, and I must put them first. <br /> <br /> The Calgary Zoo has a male and a female Mongoose Lemur, though I don't know if they are actually a "pair". They are to be found in the Transalta Rainforest building. Usually when I see them, they are up in their tree, curled up into a tight ball of fur, but when I spent a few hours at the Zoo on 28 September 2014, this one did occasionally open its amazing eyes. The lighting is far from ideal in this large exhibit, and usually my photos tend to come out a little blurry, though this time, I did a little better. These animals are not in a cage, but in a large "room" that has a pond and is shared with a variety of tropical birds, big and small, all flying freely. Warning - they may be cute but they do bite! Their status is Critically Endangered"<br /> <br /> "The Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) is a lemur ranging from 12 to 18 inches long plus a tail of 16 to 25 inches. The Mongoose Lemur lives in Madagascar dry deciduous forests within Madagascar as well as in Comoros forests on the islands of Comoros. The Mongoose Lemur mostly eats fruit, though flowers, leaves and nectar also make up part of its diet. It is unusual in that depending on the season it is either diurnal or nocturnal.<br /> <br /> The Mongoose Lemur is arboreal and lives in small family groups, usually consisting of a bonded pair and 1 to 4 children. These groups rarely encounter one another, but when they do, they are aggressive." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> "Mongoose lemurs have soft grey-brown fur with a pale grey muzzle and black nose. The males have reddish-brown cheeks and may have a bald patch on top of their heads, caused by rubbing when scent-marking their territories. Females by contrast, have whitish cheeks." From <a href="http://www.bristolzoo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.bristolzoo.org</a>.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose_lemur" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose_lemur</a></div> Mongoose Lemur <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44325494/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/54/94/44325494.0d5e8435.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I have been taking so few photos recently, so am now having to dig into my archives most of the time. The few times I have been out, I have either seen nothing or nothing that I can photograph. Now, there are very urgent things that need to be done, and I must put them first. <br /> <br /> The Calgary Zoo has a male and a female Mongoose Lemur, though I don't know if they are actually a "pair". They are to be found in the Transalta Rainforest building. Usually when I see them, they are up in their tree, curled up into a tight ball of fur, but when I spent a few hours at the Zoo on 28 September 2014, this one did occasionally open its amazing eyes. The lighting is far from ideal in this large exhibit, and usually my photos tend to come out a little blurry, though this time, I did a little better. These animals are not in a cage, but in a large "room" that has a pond and is shared with a variety of tropical birds, big and small, all flying freely. Warning - they may be cute but they do bite! Their status is Critically Endangered"<br /> <br /> "The Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) is a lemur ranging from 12 to 18 inches long plus a tail of 16 to 25 inches. The Mongoose Lemur lives in Madagascar dry deciduous forests within Madagascar as well as in Comoros forests on the islands of Comoros. The Mongoose Lemur mostly eats fruit, though flowers, leaves and nectar also make up part of its diet. It is unusual in that depending on the season it is either diurnal or nocturnal.<br /> <br /> The Mongoose Lemur is arboreal and lives in small family groups, usually consisting of a bonded pair and 1 to 4 children. These groups rarely encounter one another, but when they do, they are aggressive." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> "Mongoose lemurs have soft grey-brown fur with a pale grey muzzle and black nose. The males have reddish-brown cheeks and may have a bald patch on top of their heads, caused by rubbing when scent-marking their territories. Females by contrast, have whitish cheeks." From <a href="http://www.bristolzoo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.bristolzoo.org</a>.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose_lemur" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose_lemur</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41863884/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2016-05-10,doc-41863884 Tue, 10 May 2016 14:56:45 +0000 2013-04-16T13:33:36-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41863884/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/38/84/41863884.2e6d9b9a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This beautiful Water Lily was standing tall and upright when I first started taking photos of it at the Calgary Zoo on 16 April 2013. Then, on came the sprinklers, and the weight of the water made it lean right over. Gave me the chance, though, to see the flowerhead from different angles. Truly beautiful from which ever way you look at it.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae</a></div> Purple Rain <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41863884/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/38/84/41863884.2e6d9b9a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This beautiful Water Lily was standing tall and upright when I first started taking photos of it at the Calgary Zoo on 16 April 2013. Then, on came the sprinklers, and the weight of the water made it lean right over. Gave me the chance, though, to see the flowerhead from different angles. Truly beautiful from which ever way you look at it.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41577914/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2016-04-12,doc-41577914 Tue, 12 Apr 2016 15:15:56 +0000 2015-10-06T14:41:11-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41577914/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/79/14/41577914.52509d1d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 6 October 2015. The west entrance to the Zoo has been closed (for the winter) since 13 October, and I did want to get in one last visit. Now it will continue to be closed because the old, narrow bridge over the Bow River, which I would normally drive over, is being replaced. I don't like the drive home on Deerfoot Trail from the north entrance, so normally tend not to go to the Zoo all winter. Now I would have to do this till the bridge is completed next year (2017). "Calgary's infamous freeway has taken the dubious top spot when it comes to this city's most dangerous place to drive." From the Calgary Sun.<br /> <br /> The forecast for 6 October was for sun with some cloud, but it turned out to be overcast the whole afternoon and most of my photos, especially those taken indoors, came out blurry : ( I was amazed that this and several others taken of this amazing Mandrill came out OK, including because of the dirty glass and everyone's reflection making it a challenge. This guy was walking around his enclosure the whole time, except when he paused on a log for a few seconds a couple of times, to give a nice pose. A black squirrel added a a bit of interest for him, too, and he liked to give chase. The previous time I was at the Zoo, I saw this black squirrel in there. The glass of the enclosure is extremely high, so I don't know how it got in or out. <br /> <br /> "The world’s largest monkey, mandrills in the wild are found in the rainforests of equatorial Africa in countries such as Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon. Known for the vivid red, blue and yellow markings on the muzzle and rump, mandrills also have long canine teeth that make a memorable impression. The monkeys are largely ground-dwelling omnivores that forage on grubs, eggs, fruit, leaves and reptiles, but they will climb trees for fun or for a safe place to sleep. Mature males can weigh up to 50 kg. and live up to about 25 years of age. Their colours also get brighter as they mature.<br /> <br /> Males can appear aggressive when they flash their canines at one another, but that is really a sign of friendly communication common in their complex social hierarchies, said Celli. In fact, despite their striking looks, mandrills tend to be quite shy. Because the group at the zoo is all male, you won’t see any displays of bravado that signal mating behaviour, but you will see the younger males following the lead of their dominant oldest brother, Yusufu. Zoo curator, Dr. Malu Celli, said the adolescent younger brothers will copy his mannerisms and even his walk.<br /> <br /> The trio were born in captivity in the Granby Zoo in Granby, Q.C. (Quebec) and were part of a family group there that had too many males. Celli said it is not unusual to find bachelor groups of mandrills in the wild, or males that hang out on the peripheries of a “super group.” From an article in the Calgary Herald on 16 May 2014.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/things+know+about+colourful+trio+mandrill+monkeys+video/9847976/story.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.calgaryherald.com/technology/things+know+about+colour...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill</a></div> Strange but beautiful <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41577914/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/79/14/41577914.52509d1d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 6 October 2015. The west entrance to the Zoo has been closed (for the winter) since 13 October, and I did want to get in one last visit. Now it will continue to be closed because the old, narrow bridge over the Bow River, which I would normally drive over, is being replaced. I don't like the drive home on Deerfoot Trail from the north entrance, so normally tend not to go to the Zoo all winter. Now I would have to do this till the bridge is completed next year (2017). "Calgary's infamous freeway has taken the dubious top spot when it comes to this city's most dangerous place to drive." From the Calgary Sun.<br /> <br /> The forecast for 6 October was for sun with some cloud, but it turned out to be overcast the whole afternoon and most of my photos, especially those taken indoors, came out blurry : ( I was amazed that this and several others taken of this amazing Mandrill came out OK, including because of the dirty glass and everyone's reflection making it a challenge. This guy was walking around his enclosure the whole time, except when he paused on a log for a few seconds a couple of times, to give a nice pose. A black squirrel added a a bit of interest for him, too, and he liked to give chase. The previous time I was at the Zoo, I saw this black squirrel in there. The glass of the enclosure is extremely high, so I don't know how it got in or out. <br /> <br /> "The world’s largest monkey, mandrills in the wild are found in the rainforests of equatorial Africa in countries such as Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon. Known for the vivid red, blue and yellow markings on the muzzle and rump, mandrills also have long canine teeth that make a memorable impression. The monkeys are largely ground-dwelling omnivores that forage on grubs, eggs, fruit, leaves and reptiles, but they will climb trees for fun or for a safe place to sleep. Mature males can weigh up to 50 kg. and live up to about 25 years of age. Their colours also get brighter as they mature.<br /> <br /> Males can appear aggressive when they flash their canines at one another, but that is really a sign of friendly communication common in their complex social hierarchies, said Celli. In fact, despite their striking looks, mandrills tend to be quite shy. Because the group at the zoo is all male, you won’t see any displays of bravado that signal mating behaviour, but you will see the younger males following the lead of their dominant oldest brother, Yusufu. Zoo curator, Dr. Malu Celli, said the adolescent younger brothers will copy his mannerisms and even his walk.<br /> <br /> The trio were born in captivity in the Granby Zoo in Granby, Q.C. (Quebec) and were part of a family group there that had too many males. Celli said it is not unusual to find bachelor groups of mandrills in the wild, or males that hang out on the peripheries of a “super group.” From an article in the Calgary Herald on 16 May 2014.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/things+know+about+colourful+trio+mandrill+monkeys+video/9847976/story.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.calgaryherald.com/technology/things+know+about+colour...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41564524/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2016-04-05,doc-41564524 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:58:23 +0000 2015-10-06T13:33:34-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41564524/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/45/24/41564524.f6f9e5a0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Thought I had better post bright, colourful images today after posting three rather dull images yesterday : )<br /> <br /> This beautiful Water Lily was growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 6 October 2015. That was the last time I visited the Zoo, as the parking lot that I have always used was closed from October and won't be opening again till sometime next year, 2017! The City will be replacing the bridge over the river that I always use, so that road will be closed off. Not sure if I'll be able to make myself drive to the north parking lot and then have to come home via the dreaded Deerfoot Trail.<br /> <br /> "Calgary's infamous freeway has taken the dubious top spot when it comes to this city's most dangerous place to drive." From the Calgary Sun newspaper.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae</a></div> Colours made for each other <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/41564524/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/45/24/41564524.f6f9e5a0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Thought I had better post bright, colourful images today after posting three rather dull images yesterday : )<br /> <br /> This beautiful Water Lily was growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 6 October 2015. That was the last time I visited the Zoo, as the parking lot that I have always used was closed from October and won't be opening again till sometime next year, 2017! The City will be replacing the bridge over the river that I always use, so that road will be closed off. Not sure if I'll be able to make myself drive to the north parking lot and then have to come home via the dreaded Deerfoot Trail.<br /> <br /> "Calgary's infamous freeway has taken the dubious top spot when it comes to this city's most dangerous place to drive." From the Calgary Sun newspaper.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/40614050/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2015-12-16,doc-40614050 Wed, 16 Dec 2015 16:07:15 +0000 2011-05-02T16:08:49-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/40614050/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/40/50/40614050.67a76a00.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Last night, when choosing three photos to post this morning, I happened to come across this old shot from my archives. It was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 2 May 2011, when a pair of Snowy Owls was in a small enclosure near the Tigers. SInce then, the only Snowies at the Zoo are over in the Aviary. It has been too long to remember for sure, but I think this was most likely the female rather than a juvenile bird.<br /> <br /> With so many people now going outside the city to look for, and photograph, these amazing birds of prey that have moved south in search of food, I thought this photo might be a good reminder of yet another reason to keep ones distance, lol. Those talons mean business! I sometimes think I must be the only person who isn't out to get photos of these owls in flight! Please don't deliberately flush them - they are already tired and stressed enough. Of course, they sometimes fly simply because they want to, in their search for yet another rodent. <br /> <br /> Actually, I was lucky enough to see two very, very distant Snowy Owls yesterday, when I went with a group of 7 friends to take part in the first annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count of the season. This is one of my favourite counts, mainly because our small group covers one of my favourite areas, SE of the city.</div> Beware! <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/40614050/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/40/50/40614050.67a76a00.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Last night, when choosing three photos to post this morning, I happened to come across this old shot from my archives. It was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 2 May 2011, when a pair of Snowy Owls was in a small enclosure near the Tigers. SInce then, the only Snowies at the Zoo are over in the Aviary. It has been too long to remember for sure, but I think this was most likely the female rather than a juvenile bird.<br /> <br /> With so many people now going outside the city to look for, and photograph, these amazing birds of prey that have moved south in search of food, I thought this photo might be a good reminder of yet another reason to keep ones distance, lol. Those talons mean business! I sometimes think I must be the only person who isn't out to get photos of these owls in flight! Please don't deliberately flush them - they are already tired and stressed enough. Of course, they sometimes fly simply because they want to, in their search for yet another rodent. <br /> <br /> Actually, I was lucky enough to see two very, very distant Snowy Owls yesterday, when I went with a group of 7 friends to take part in the first annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count of the season. This is one of my favourite counts, mainly because our small group covers one of my favourite areas, SE of the city.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39756720/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2015-09-19,doc-39756720 Sat, 19 Sep 2015 15:31:13 +0000 2015-09-08T14:37:09-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39756720/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/67/20/39756720.ba295a53.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken on 8 September 2015. In the morning, I joined a group of friends for a three-hour stroll at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 38 bird species were seen, though I didn't manage to see any of the tiny, fast-moving Warblers. It was good to see 28 Wood Ducks, but they were far, far away, in an area that is still closed due to devastating flood damage. The Sanctuary had been closed for about two years for this reason and only very recently re-opened just a part of the area.<br /> <br /> The Calgary Zoo is very close to the Sanctuary so, after our morning walk, I decided to call in there. I hadn't been for about a year and I really missed going there. Of course, many of the garden flowers were past their prime, but I did find a few that were fit to photograph. <br /> <br /> I knew I wouldn't be able to walk far, having already been walking all morning, but I really wanted to get to the ENMAX Conservatory to see what was going on. I had been longing all summer to see the tropical butterflies and plants. The butterfly season will be coming to an end (or maybe already finished?) for these tropical beauties, but there were still plenty of them to be seen. Also, this month, the parking lot that I use will close for the winter and I don't like the drive back home from the north parking area, using Deerfoot Trail, so tend not to go to the Zoo all winter. <br /> <br /> The Clipper butterfly (Parthenos sylvia) from southeast Asia, comes in two color forms: the blue form, native to Malaysia, and this brown form, from the Philippines. These are fast-flying butterflies that like to perch with their wings open and bask in the sunshine. I have added a previously posted photo of the Malaysian blue form in a comment box below, for comparison.<br /> <br /> There was so much activity going on at the Zoo on this most recent visit. People everywhere, carrying large animals wrapped in white, protective coverings, preparing for ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival. Each animal is an individual lantern and there are so many of them. I noticed that several of the real animals in their enclosures were watching all the unaccustomed activity, which made me smile.<br /> <br /> A good day, despite the overcast sky, and plenty of photo opportunities. Recently, I have been finding far fewer things to photograph, with fall on its way, so a day like this was more than welcome.</div> Blue and Brown Clipper / Parthenos sylvia <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39756720/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/67/20/39756720.ba295a53.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken on 8 September 2015. In the morning, I joined a group of friends for a three-hour stroll at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 38 bird species were seen, though I didn't manage to see any of the tiny, fast-moving Warblers. It was good to see 28 Wood Ducks, but they were far, far away, in an area that is still closed due to devastating flood damage. The Sanctuary had been closed for about two years for this reason and only very recently re-opened just a part of the area.<br /> <br /> The Calgary Zoo is very close to the Sanctuary so, after our morning walk, I decided to call in there. I hadn't been for about a year and I really missed going there. Of course, many of the garden flowers were past their prime, but I did find a few that were fit to photograph. <br /> <br /> I knew I wouldn't be able to walk far, having already been walking all morning, but I really wanted to get to the ENMAX Conservatory to see what was going on. I had been longing all summer to see the tropical butterflies and plants. The butterfly season will be coming to an end (or maybe already finished?) for these tropical beauties, but there were still plenty of them to be seen. Also, this month, the parking lot that I use will close for the winter and I don't like the drive back home from the north parking area, using Deerfoot Trail, so tend not to go to the Zoo all winter. <br /> <br /> The Clipper butterfly (Parthenos sylvia) from southeast Asia, comes in two color forms: the blue form, native to Malaysia, and this brown form, from the Philippines. These are fast-flying butterflies that like to perch with their wings open and bask in the sunshine. I have added a previously posted photo of the Malaysian blue form in a comment box below, for comparison.<br /> <br /> There was so much activity going on at the Zoo on this most recent visit. People everywhere, carrying large animals wrapped in white, protective coverings, preparing for ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival. Each animal is an individual lantern and there are so many of them. I noticed that several of the real animals in their enclosures were watching all the unaccustomed activity, which made me smile.<br /> <br /> A good day, despite the overcast sky, and plenty of photo opportunities. Recently, I have been finding far fewer things to photograph, with fall on its way, so a day like this was more than welcome.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/35685675/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-10-22,doc-35685675 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 16:05:37 +0000 2014-10-14T15:05:19-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/35685675/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/146/56/75/35685675.f9911b9f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This is one of the beautiful, shiny Anthuriums that was growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on 14 October 2014. Love these plants, with their almost metallic look. The solitary, red spathe is a showy modified bract that can be somewhat leathery in texture. They have such a beautiful finish to them.<br /> <br /> "Anthurium is a large genus of about 600- 800 (possibly 1,000) species, belonging to the arum family (Araceae). Anthurium can also be called "Flamingo Flower" or "Boy Flower", both referring to the structure of the spathe and spadix." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthurium" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthurium</a></div> Red and green - meant for each other <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/35685675/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/146/56/75/35685675.f9911b9f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This is one of the beautiful, shiny Anthuriums that was growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on 14 October 2014. Love these plants, with their almost metallic look. The solitary, red spathe is a showy modified bract that can be somewhat leathery in texture. They have such a beautiful finish to them.<br /> <br /> "Anthurium is a large genus of about 600- 800 (possibly 1,000) species, belonging to the arum family (Araceae). Anthurium can also be called "Flamingo Flower" or "Boy Flower", both referring to the structure of the spathe and spadix." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthurium" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthurium</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/33879531/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-07-10,doc-33879531 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:58:42 +0000 2012-12-06T12:39:45-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/33879531/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/144/95/31/33879531.b3fb7e76.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 9 July 2014, was an unbearably hot day. When I was searching for photos to upload this morning, I happened to come across this old photo from my archives that I had never posted. It seemed to fit the bill (meaning: meet the requirements). Looking at this image late last night, I could almost feel the coldness of snow and ice. This morning, though, the temperature has gone down, thank goodness, and it's only 19C, going up to 23C this afternoon. More hot weather is on its way, though. Photo of this King Penguin was taken at Penguin Plunge at the Calgary Zoo, on 6 December 2012.<br /> <br /> The Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan.<br /> <br /> The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. When they first arrived, there were 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states:<br /> <br /> King Penguins - Least Concern<br /> Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened<br /> Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> <br /> "The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere.<br /> <br /> King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft).<br /> <br /> King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing."<br /> <br /> storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...<br /> <br /> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin<br /> <br /> Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago:<br /> <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin.." target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin..</a>.</div> Thoughts of anything cold <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/33879531/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/144/95/31/33879531.b3fb7e76.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 9 July 2014, was an unbearably hot day. When I was searching for photos to upload this morning, I happened to come across this old photo from my archives that I had never posted. It seemed to fit the bill (meaning: meet the requirements). Looking at this image late last night, I could almost feel the coldness of snow and ice. This morning, though, the temperature has gone down, thank goodness, and it's only 19C, going up to 23C this afternoon. More hot weather is on its way, though. Photo of this King Penguin was taken at Penguin Plunge at the Calgary Zoo, on 6 December 2012.<br /> <br /> The Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan.<br /> <br /> The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. When they first arrived, there were 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states:<br /> <br /> King Penguins - Least Concern<br /> Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened<br /> Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> <br /> "The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere.<br /> <br /> King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft).<br /> <br /> King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing."<br /> <br /> storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...<br /> <br /> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin<br /> <br /> Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago:<br /> <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin.." target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin..</a>.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32576723/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-05-07,doc-32576723 Wed, 07 May 2014 13:05:25 +0000 2012-09-25T14:59:46-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32576723/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/143/67/23/32576723.47cddf0b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I'm not sure if I have the correct ID for this tropical butterfly, seen in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 25 September 2012. Any confirmation or correction would be greatly appreciated - thanks!</div> Great Mormon / Papilio memno <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32576723/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/143/67/23/32576723.47cddf0b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I'm not sure if I have the correct ID for this tropical butterfly, seen in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 25 September 2012. Any confirmation or correction would be greatly appreciated - thanks!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32491317/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-05-04,doc-32491317 Sun, 04 May 2014 14:43:06 +0000 2012-09-25T15:10:00-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32491317/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/13/17/32491317.a95617b2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Photographed this Julia Heliconian / Dryas iulia butterfly in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012. This brush-footed species is popular in butterfly houses as it is active throughout the day and is long-lived. Photo of the underside view is posted in comment box below.<br /> <br /> I wanted a bright, colourful image this morning, as we are back to winter once again. Just five minutes ago, I wrote that the snow seemed to have stopped, at least for the moment, and now it has started again.</div> Julia Heliconian / Dryas iulia <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32491317/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/13/17/32491317.a95617b2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Photographed this Julia Heliconian / Dryas iulia butterfly in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012. This brush-footed species is popular in butterfly houses as it is active throughout the day and is long-lived. Photo of the underside view is posted in comment box below.<br /> <br /> I wanted a bright, colourful image this morning, as we are back to winter once again. Just five minutes ago, I wrote that the snow seemed to have stopped, at least for the moment, and now it has started again.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32358329/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-04-28,doc-32358329 Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:23:36 +0000 2012-09-25T14:14:09-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32358329/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/83/29/32358329.be4c67ba.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This flower looked a whole lot better in a smaller size - I think it's a little overpowering when cropped! Photographed at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012, and posted because today is supposed to be cloudy and rainy.<br /> <br /> "Lantana's aromatic flower clusters (called umbels) are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets. Other colors exist as new varieties are being selected. The flowers typically change color as they mature, resulting in inflorescences that are two- or three-colored." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana</a><br /> <br /> We certainly had a mix of weather the last two days. Saturday, it was snowing with poor visibility. A few of us had gathered to go on a birding drive south of the city, but weren't sure whether to cancel the trip. We drove to the edge of the city to check out a huge pond, but it was decided that the visibility was just not going to be good enough, so the trip was postponed. Two of us did drive some of the backroads just south of the city and the snow did stop for a while, but the light was not good. I really appreciated the drive, though, as we went on a few roads that I don't drive, but now will feel confident to do so. Thanks so much, Terry! We had a few nice sightings, including a Moose, a Snow Goose (possibly a Ross's Goose) that I didn't see, and a distant flock of about 60 Mountain Bluebirds which was a real treat. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds are now back, joining the Red-winged Blackbirds that I believe arrived first. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, Sunday (27 April 2014), I went with friends to Frank Lake for the day. It started off extremely foggy with a touch of hoarfrost. Perhaps not the ideal weather for seeing birds, but the fog did eventually clear and the sun came out. It turned out to be a beautiful day and most enjoyable. We saw 53 bird species - all, except for two owl nests, were extremely distant, so any photos I took are so far away. Have to admit that I was fascinated by the hoar frost and (melting) ice crystals, so I spent some time taking photos these while my friends checked out the lake for distant sightings of birds. Caught a distant glimpse of two White-faced Ibis, and several Snow Geese flew over. Greg Wagner from High River came to check out the lake while we were there, and he drew our attention to a Clarke's Grebe, which was a great sighting. Thanks, Greg! Three of the owl nests had young ones that could be seen, but through a tangle of branches, so useless for photos. The one nest had very young owlets, still with white feathers. Thanks, Tony, for leading this trip to one of my very favourite areas! Your trips are always very successful and so enjoyable.</div> Changing colours of Lantana <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32358329/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/83/29/32358329.be4c67ba.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This flower looked a whole lot better in a smaller size - I think it's a little overpowering when cropped! Photographed at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012, and posted because today is supposed to be cloudy and rainy.<br /> <br /> "Lantana's aromatic flower clusters (called umbels) are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets. Other colors exist as new varieties are being selected. The flowers typically change color as they mature, resulting in inflorescences that are two- or three-colored." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana</a><br /> <br /> We certainly had a mix of weather the last two days. Saturday, it was snowing with poor visibility. A few of us had gathered to go on a birding drive south of the city, but weren't sure whether to cancel the trip. We drove to the edge of the city to check out a huge pond, but it was decided that the visibility was just not going to be good enough, so the trip was postponed. Two of us did drive some of the backroads just south of the city and the snow did stop for a while, but the light was not good. I really appreciated the drive, though, as we went on a few roads that I don't drive, but now will feel confident to do so. Thanks so much, Terry! We had a few nice sightings, including a Moose, a Snow Goose (possibly a Ross's Goose) that I didn't see, and a distant flock of about 60 Mountain Bluebirds which was a real treat. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds are now back, joining the Red-winged Blackbirds that I believe arrived first. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, Sunday (27 April 2014), I went with friends to Frank Lake for the day. It started off extremely foggy with a touch of hoarfrost. Perhaps not the ideal weather for seeing birds, but the fog did eventually clear and the sun came out. It turned out to be a beautiful day and most enjoyable. We saw 53 bird species - all, except for two owl nests, were extremely distant, so any photos I took are so far away. Have to admit that I was fascinated by the hoar frost and (melting) ice crystals, so I spent some time taking photos these while my friends checked out the lake for distant sightings of birds. Caught a distant glimpse of two White-faced Ibis, and several Snow Geese flew over. Greg Wagner from High River came to check out the lake while we were there, and he drew our attention to a Clarke's Grebe, which was a great sighting. Thanks, Greg! Three of the owl nests had young ones that could be seen, but through a tangle of branches, so useless for photos. The one nest had very young owlets, still with white feathers. Thanks, Tony, for leading this trip to one of my very favourite areas! Your trips are always very successful and so enjoyable.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32266255/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-04-25,doc-32266255 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:06:28 +0000 2012-09-25T13:52:43-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32266255/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/62/55/32266255.0d6bfcfb.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not as sharp as it should have been, but last night I wanted to quickly find a vibrant shot to post today. The weather forecast called for rain and mixed precipitation for later today and light snow for tomorrow.<br /> <br /> This beautiful Hibiscus flower was growing at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012. They have quite spectacular flower centres, especially when photographed more sharply than this one (at least when viewed on a 24" monitor), lol!<br /> <br /> "Hibiscus (/hɨˈbɪskəs/[2] or /haɪˈbɪskəs/[3]) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. <br /> <br /> The tea made of hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus</a></div> Colour for a dreary day <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32266255/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/62/55/32266255.0d6bfcfb.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not as sharp as it should have been, but last night I wanted to quickly find a vibrant shot to post today. The weather forecast called for rain and mixed precipitation for later today and light snow for tomorrow.<br /> <br /> This beautiful Hibiscus flower was growing at the Calgary Zoo on 25 September 2012. They have quite spectacular flower centres, especially when photographed more sharply than this one (at least when viewed on a 24" monitor), lol!<br /> <br /> "Hibiscus (/hɨˈbɪskəs/[2] or /haɪˈbɪskəs/[3]) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. <br /> <br /> The tea made of hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32192707/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-04-22,doc-32192707 Tue, 22 Apr 2014 12:37:54 +0000 2012-08-09T14:30:20-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32192707/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/27/07/32192707.476d37af.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These beautiful seedpods of the Sacred Lotus are one of my favourite things to photograph at the Calgary Zoo. The tropical flowering shrub in the background created a bit of bokeh to add colour to the image. Macro photo taken in the ENMAX Conservatory on 9 August 2012.<br /> <br /> "The pods/seed heads contain the Lotus seeds within little circular chambers on the flat surface of the top of the pod. These circles appeared to cradle the seeds, which are round, within the pod until fully ripe. Both the chamber of each seed and the seed itself got larger and larger until the pod bent over to finally release the seeds into the water." <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm</a></div> A touch of sacredness <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32192707/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/27/07/32192707.476d37af.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These beautiful seedpods of the Sacred Lotus are one of my favourite things to photograph at the Calgary Zoo. The tropical flowering shrub in the background created a bit of bokeh to add colour to the image. Macro photo taken in the ENMAX Conservatory on 9 August 2012.<br /> <br /> "The pods/seed heads contain the Lotus seeds within little circular chambers on the flat surface of the top of the pod. These circles appeared to cradle the seeds, which are round, within the pod until fully ripe. Both the chamber of each seed and the seed itself got larger and larger until the pod bent over to finally release the seeds into the water." <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/31475479/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2014-03-29,doc-31475479 Sat, 29 Mar 2014 04:34:22 +0000 2012-12-06T13:01:27-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/31475479/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/141/54/79/31475479.947eca9c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The Calgary Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan.<br /> <br /> At the time this photo was taken, on 6 December 2012, there were 46 penguins, which had recently come from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There were 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins, though I know numbers have changed slightly since then. The IUCN Red List states:<br /> <br /> "King Penguins - Least Concern<br /> Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened<br /> Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> <br /> The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere.<br /> <br /> King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft).<br /> <br /> King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_Calgary_Zoo_Penguins.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin</a><br /> <br /> Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago:<br /> <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin-unveiled-bird-that-lived-26-million-years-ago-elegant-say-scientists?bn=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin...</a></div> King Penguin <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/31475479/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/141/54/79/31475479.947eca9c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The Calgary Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan.<br /> <br /> At the time this photo was taken, on 6 December 2012, there were 46 penguins, which had recently come from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There were 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins, though I know numbers have changed slightly since then. The IUCN Red List states:<br /> <br /> "King Penguins - Least Concern<br /> Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened<br /> Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable<br /> <br /> The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere.<br /> <br /> King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft).<br /> <br /> King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_Calgary_Zoo_Penguins.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin</a><br /> <br /> Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago:<br /> <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin-unveiled-bird-that-lived-26-million-years-ago-elegant-say-scientists?bn=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin...</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/28846169/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2013-12-12,doc-28846169 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 07:02:13 +0000 2012-09-28T16:04:19-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/28846169/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/139/61/69/28846169.a5dc9eed.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">A photo from my archives, taken on 28 September 2012 at the Calgary Zoo. You can just manage to get a zoomed shot that can be sharp in the centre but somewhat blurred at either side, because you can't avoid the bars of the metal enclosure. There is a double fence, so you can't place your camera lens through the gaps. These Snow Leopards are such magnificent animals - absolutely love the colour of their eyes. It is an ENDANGERED species, so hopefully we don't lose them forever. (Took me three and a half hours to eventually get these three photos to upload this evening ... sigh).</div> Up close with a Snow Leopard <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/28846169/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/139/61/69/28846169.a5dc9eed.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">A photo from my archives, taken on 28 September 2012 at the Calgary Zoo. You can just manage to get a zoomed shot that can be sharp in the centre but somewhat blurred at either side, because you can't avoid the bars of the metal enclosure. There is a double fence, so you can't place your camera lens through the gaps. These Snow Leopards are such magnificent animals - absolutely love the colour of their eyes. It is an ENDANGERED species, so hopefully we don't lose them forever. (Took me three and a half hours to eventually get these three photos to upload this evening ... sigh).</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/28609865/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2013-12-04,doc-28609865 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:05:18 +0000 2007-07-02T16:23:53-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/28609865/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/139/98/65/28609865.1326a42f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Ha, I took this photo on 2 July 2007! Came across it when I was doing a bit of tidying up on my hard drive, ready for the dreaded day when I have to get all the data transferred to a new computer. I ordered it late last night after completely stressing myself out and just hope that I chose the right things! Guess I'll find out, when it arrives and I try and put it together, lol. Will wait till the new year to get this transfer done. I was so thankful that I could get a machine with Windows 7 installed on it, not Windows 8. I just couldn't bring myself to delete this image, even though the bird's face was rather blurry and it had its nictitating membrane down over its eye. Finally tried cropping it today and it worked OK. I think these birds have such gorgeous feathers and it seemed such a shame to delete them. Photographed at the Calgary Zoo.<br /> <br /> "The Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) is the largest extant species of guineafowl. Systematically, it is only distantly related to other guineafowl genera. Its closest living relative, the White Breasted Guineafowl, Agelastes meleagrides inhabit primary forests in Central Africa. It is a member of the bird family Numididae, and is the only member of the genus Acryllium. It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania.<br /> <br /> The Vulturine Guineafowl is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds. This species' food is seeds and small invertebrates. This guineafowl is terrestrial, and will run rather than fly when alarmed. Despite the open habitat, it tends to keep to cover, and roosts in trees."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulturine_Guineafowl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulturine_Guineafowl</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.arkive.org/vulturine-guineafowl/acryllium-vulturinum/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.arkive.org/vulturine-guineafowl/acryllium-vulturinum</a></div> Vulturine Guineafowl <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/28609865/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/139/98/65/28609865.1326a42f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Ha, I took this photo on 2 July 2007! Came across it when I was doing a bit of tidying up on my hard drive, ready for the dreaded day when I have to get all the data transferred to a new computer. I ordered it late last night after completely stressing myself out and just hope that I chose the right things! Guess I'll find out, when it arrives and I try and put it together, lol. Will wait till the new year to get this transfer done. I was so thankful that I could get a machine with Windows 7 installed on it, not Windows 8. I just couldn't bring myself to delete this image, even though the bird's face was rather blurry and it had its nictitating membrane down over its eye. Finally tried cropping it today and it worked OK. I think these birds have such gorgeous feathers and it seemed such a shame to delete them. Photographed at the Calgary Zoo.<br /> <br /> "The Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) is the largest extant species of guineafowl. Systematically, it is only distantly related to other guineafowl genera. Its closest living relative, the White Breasted Guineafowl, Agelastes meleagrides inhabit primary forests in Central Africa. It is a member of the bird family Numididae, and is the only member of the genus Acryllium. It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania.<br /> <br /> The Vulturine Guineafowl is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds. This species' food is seeds and small invertebrates. This guineafowl is terrestrial, and will run rather than fly when alarmed. Despite the open habitat, it tends to keep to cover, and roosts in trees."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulturine_Guineafowl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulturine_Guineafowl</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.arkive.org/vulturine-guineafowl/acryllium-vulturinum/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.arkive.org/vulturine-guineafowl/acryllium-vulturinum</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/27872063/in/group/352375 tag:ipernity.com,2013-11-05,doc-27872063 Tue, 05 Nov 2013 06:24:59 +0000 2011-09-20T13:28:22-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/27872063/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/138/20/63/27872063.8d332fd6.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Three more photos in the Notes: Sacred Lotus bud, flower and seedpod with butterfly.<br /> <br /> For many years, I was fascinated by these seedpods, but had only seen them when they had turned dark brown and were included in flower arrangements. I was thrilled to bits when I knew they were growing at the Calgary Zoo and I could see them at all different stages. I came across this image recently when going through a few archives, and thought I'd post it. Lol, I think I'm already feeling green-deprived, thanks to our heavy snowfall this past weekend.<br /> <br /> "The lotus was of great significance to many ancient cultures, and in particular to the Eastern religions. From ancestral times, the lotus regularly appears as a symbol of purity, peace, transcendence, enlightenment, rebirth, beauty, and fertility. In India, the lotus flower is considered to be of divine origin and is viewed as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. Buddha was said to sleep on a lotus six months of the year, and Shambala (Buddhist heaven) is sometimes represented as a field of flowering sacred lotuses." Taken from the first link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera</a></div> Sacred Lotus seedpod <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/27872063/in/group/352375"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/138/20/63/27872063.8d332fd6.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Three more photos in the Notes: Sacred Lotus bud, flower and seedpod with butterfly.<br /> <br /> For many years, I was fascinated by these seedpods, but had only seen them when they had turned dark brown and were included in flower arrangements. I was thrilled to bits when I knew they were growing at the Calgary Zoo and I could see them at all different stages. I came across this image recently when going through a few archives, and thought I'd post it. Lol, I think I'm already feeling green-deprived, thanks to our heavy snowfall this past weekend.<br /> <br /> "The lotus was of great significance to many ancient cultures, and in particular to the Eastern religions. From ancestral times, the lotus regularly appears as a symbol of purity, peace, transcendence, enlightenment, rebirth, beauty, and fertility. In India, the lotus flower is considered to be of divine origin and is viewed as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. Buddha was said to sleep on a lotus six months of the year, and Shambala (Buddhist heaven) is sometimes represented as a field of flowering sacred lotuses." Taken from the first link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera</a></div> Anne Elliott