Photos, videos and docs of Anne Elliott, with the keywords: "large"

Large, white mushrooms

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:50:01 +0000

This morning, it's back to posting 10 more photos of fungi from our visit to Rod Handfield's acreage. I think these may be the last few odds and ends that I will be adding from this trip. Sorry about the lack of IDs for so many of the fungi, but at least I have made a photo record of many of the species seen.

On that day, 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming this day! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry.

A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking, but also because of all the excitement. That night, I slept well. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.

As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with some of the identifications. For the rest, "fungus" or "mushroom"will have to be sufficient. As usual, any IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat!

Our leader for fungi walks, Karel Bergmann

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:37:00 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Remembering the horrific tragedy of 9/11 2001. This day will never be forgotten.

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As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse. This large mushroom was picked for demonstration purposes.

Another very gloomy day, with fine drizzle today, 11 September 2019. Our temperature is 9C (feels like 6C). It definitely feels like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.

Three days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry.

A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.

As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient.

Day 7, Hong Kong Orchid tree, Estero Llano Grande SP

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 18 May 2019 23:02:41 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

PAM, A LITTLE BIT OF BEAUTY SPECIALLY FOR YOU, AFTER YOUR STRESSFUL DAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY SINGLE UPDATE THAT YOU TAKE THE TROUBLE TO WRITE!! I ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU ARE DOING. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE TWO NEW PAIRS OF GLASSES YOU WILL BE GETTING, WILL HELP YOU A LOT. TAKE CARE. BY THE WAY, I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVE HAD CATARACT SURGERY AND HAVE BEEN DELIGHTED WITH THE RESULTS.

Just a few more days and Smugmug has the mammoth task of transferring every single thing on Flickr to a new server. Hard to imagine, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that the transfer all goes smoothly. There will probably be a few glitches to iron out afterwards, but these will eventually be fixed. Flickr has certainly been just about unusable the last few days! Hoping to get Day 7 of our trip finished before the transfer and maybe even make a start on Day 8. Please bear with me.

The flower of this tree was so beautiful, I decided to edit again the same photo that I have posted previously, to add to my photostream. I've posted a few photos to show what a beautiful park this was to walk in - loved the trees and cacti..

The article, "BBC - Earth: How a weird hybrid plant ended up on the flag of Hong King" makes an interesting read. The flag shows a white flower on a red background.

This tree is a native of the island of Hong Kong, but the true origin of this mysterious plant has only been revealed in recent years. The tree produces no seeds and can only reproduce with human help, by grafting.

www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161209-how-a-weird-hybrid-plant...

Posted just a few odds and ends, taken on Day 7 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas. A few interesting things, but not the greatest photos of most of them. So happy to see them all and just happy to get any kind of shots.

We had an early start as usual on Day 7 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, 19-31 March 2019. Leaving our hotel, La Quinta Inn & Suites in Mission, we drove to the Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park / World Birding Centre.

"As part of the World Birding Center, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is a world-class destination for bird-watching. The Rio Grande Valley hosts one of the most spectacular convergences of birds on earth with more than 525 species documented in this unique place. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park alone has an impressive list of 358 species recorded within the park’s boundaries. Birders have a chance to see migratory birds during their yearly migrations over the valley including flocks of thousands of hawks from the park’s Hawk Tower in the spring and fall.... Over seven miles of trails offer a variety of opportunities to encounter wildlife inside the park."

tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bentsen-rio-grande-valley

In the afternoon, we drove roughly 32 miles east to the Estero Llano Grande State Park, arriving there at about 1:00 pm, and spent two and a half hours looking for birds. Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco, is one of nine sites that make up the World Birding Centre in South Texas. It is a 230+ acre refuge. Not many chances to see and photograph birds, but we enjoyed seeing huge cacti in bloom and a few beautiful flowering trees, including the one in this photo. A couple of Lizards and a Skink added interesting variety to our sightings - even a cluster of mushrooms.

Day 7, Hong Kong Orchid tree, Estero Llano Grande SP

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 18 May 2019 23:01:42 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Just a few more days and Smugmug has the mammoth task of transferring every single thing on Flickr to a new server. Hard to imagine, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that the transfer all goes smoothly. There will probably be a few glitches to iron out afterwards, but these will eventually be fixed. Hoping to get Day 7 of our trip finished before the transfer and maybe even make a start on Day 8. Please bear with me.

The article, "BBC - Earth: How a weird hybrid plant ended up on the flag of Hong King" makes an interesting read. The flag shows a white flower on a red background.

This tree is a native of the island of Hong Kong, but the true origin of this mysterious plant has only been revealed in recent years. The tree produces no seeds and can only reproduce with human help, by grafting.

www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161209-how-a-weird-hybrid-plant...

Posted just a few odds and ends, taken on Day 7 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas. A few interesting things, but not the greatest photos of most of them. So happy to see them all and just happy to get any kind of shots.

We had an early start as usual on Day 7 of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, 19-31 March 2019. Leaving our hotel, La Quinta Inn & Suites in Mission, we drove to the Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park / World Birding Centre.

"As part of the World Birding Center, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is a world-class destination for bird-watching. The Rio Grande Valley hosts one of the most spectacular convergences of birds on earth with more than 525 species documented in this unique place. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park alone has an impressive list of 358 species recorded within the park’s boundaries. Birders have a chance to see migratory birds during their yearly migrations over the valley including flocks of thousands of hawks from the park’s Hawk Tower in the spring and fall.... Over seven miles of trails offer a variety of opportunities to encounter wildlife inside the park."

tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bentsen-rio-grande-valley

In the afternoon, we drove roughly 32 miles east to the Estero Llano Grande State Park, arriving there at about 1:00 pm, and spent two and a half hours looking for birds. Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco, is one of nine sites that make up the World Birding Centre in South Texas. It is a 230+ acre refuge. Not many chances to see and photograph birds, but we enjoyed seeing huge cacti in bloom and a few beautiful flowering trees, including the one in this photo. A couple of Lizards and a Skink added interesting variety to our sightings - even a cluster of mushrooms.

Day 7, Hong Kong orchid tree / Bauhinia (blakeana?), southern Texas

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:33:31 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Thanks to Ben Caledonia (Flickr member), I now know the ID of the tree that produced this large, beautiful flower - the Hong Kong orchid tree / Bauhinia (blakeana?) or similar. The article, "BBC - Earth: How a weird hybrid plant ended up on the flag of Hong King" makes an interesting read. The flag shows a white flower on a red background. We did see a different tree that had the white flowers, which were just as beautiful. In a comment box below, I have added a photo from 2010, of the Hong Kong Orchid Tree flower that was (is?) growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

This tree is a native of the island of Hong Kong, but the true origin of this mysterious plant has only been revealed in recent years. The tree produces no seeds and can only reproduce with human help, by grafting.

www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161209-how-a-weird-hybrid-plant...

Yesterday evening, 31 March 2019, four friends and I arrived back in Calgary after an amazing 13-day birding trip to southern Texas! This morning, I grabbed four photos to give an idea of what kinds of things we saw - four of my better photos, I should add : ) As usual, for me, it was not a trip to photograph just birds, but to capture anything else of interest, of beauty. This included flowers, insects, a few fungi, wild animals, and so on. As always, I missed quite a few of the birds that were seen by my friends. They are excellent birders and spend so much time birding and taking photos, and so are able to spot and capture the tiniest, fastest of birds. I am happy to have seen every bird that I did see! Everything from Whooping Cranes down to a small Yellow-throated Warbler. Unlike on our trip to Ontario and Quebec last year, we were thrilled to see Northern Cardinals close enough to photograph this holiday.

Right now, I can't remember names of places, and I have a huge amount of getting organized with where and when I saw most things. However, I just wanted to let you know I am home, feeling back to being motivated to take photos again, after totally losing interest the last few weeks before we left on this exciting trip.

I used both my old Canon SX60 and my less old Nikon P900 on this trip. The advantage of the P900 is that it has GPS and automatically loads on the map on Flickr. It may not always give an accurate location, but hopefully it will be close enough. Part way through the holiday, it looked like the Canon was taking somewhat better photos than the newer Nikon, so I was using the Canon as my main camera.

First things first, though - I need a mug of coffee and some breakfast before I download the rest of my images to my computer. Such a mixed bag - some reasonable shots and others just about as bad as they could possibly be, but will post them on Flickr for the record. Once again, I will post photos in very roughly the order in which they were taken, to help give me a much better idea of just where we went and what we saw and when.

Great Gray Owl - from my archives

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 15:28:48 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Crazy, crazy weather! We have only just come out of an awful deep-freeze that lasted for many weeks. "The chance for some +20 degree weather extends across southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan early next week including the city of Calgary, where some daily temperature records are in jeopardy. The record to beat on Monday and Tuesday is 18.3°C and 18.9°C, which were both set on March 18 and 19 back in 1928." From the Weather Network on 16 March 2019.

I am going to be taking a break from posting photos on Flickr soon - decided to grab three photos to post this morning after all. Will return when I don't have to keep going into my archives. As I have been doing the last few days, I will add the description that I added under a previously posted photo from the same day.

"After a long day out at Frank Lake on Saturday, 19 March, and then checking the upcoming weather forecast, Sunday, 20 March 2016, looked like it was going to be the only decent day of the coming week. Of course, we all know that weather forecasts can change. So, my alarm clocks were all set ridiculously early, though I still left home a bit later than I had intended, and I took myself NW of the city again to see if I could see an owl.

Just a handful of friends were there and we got a few moments of great views of this Great Gray Owl, including when it was down on the ground during a failed attempt to catch a Meadow Vole. I think it took all of us by surprise when it flew and landed near to us. During the rest of the time, I did see an owl fly off into the trees a couple of times, but the rest of the time was spent waiting and chatting with my friends. Patience .....

While we were waiting, someone spotted a beautiful male Mountain Bluebird way down the road. I am pretty sure I had caught a quick glimpse of another Bluebird on my drive to my destination. Also, I seem to remember catching a quick sight of another one recently, but can't for the life of me remember where or when. It's always such a thrill to see a Bluebird, especially the very first of the season. That flash of bright blue takes one's breath away. Two beautiful birds to see on this first day of spring!"

"Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl

Harvest time

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 17:01:24 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

It's snowing - again! Our temperature is -3C (windchill -9C). So far, the forecast for the coming week looks amazing! Temperatures between 12C and 19C (for Wednesday). What a difference and finally, it looks like we might actually be going to get a fall season after all. Hopefully, there will still be enough leaves left on the trees to give at least a bit of fall colour.

This morning, I am returning to local photos instead of continuing with images from our Pt Pelee and Tadoussac trip back in May of this year. You can't tell from this photo, taken on 12 October 2018, but I was barely able to hold my camera, or open my car door to get in and out, the wind was so strong yesterday afternoon! Seeing sunshine all morning, I reckoned it might be a good time to dash east of the city and visit a couple of old wooden barns and sheds that I enjoy photographing. When I stepped out of my front door, I could feel the wind, but as I knew I would not be trying to take photos of flowers that would blow in and out of the viewfinder, I thought it would be OK. Well, was I wrong! It was definitely not fun driving the highway and, little did I know, the wind would become stronger and the dark clouds and rain would move in. Needless to say, in the end, I just had to give up and return home. Fortunately, I was able to get the main photos I was hoping for, straight away, before the storm worsened.

I love to see a field full of hay bales. To quote someone else's joke (groan!), unfortunately the round hay bales mean that Alberta cows never get a square (i.e. 'proper') meal : ) I added a touch of filter in post-processing.

Love an old, red barn

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 16:56:55 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Early afternoon, on our day trip to the Ellis Bird Farm, we were taken to a nearby farm to hopefully see something really special. Unfortunately, despite many pairs of good birding eyes, we were unable to find what we were looking for. However, I spotted this fine old barn on a neighbour's property and walked down the road to get a clearer view.

Just over a year ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, on 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Jackie and Brenda, who organized a trip for a group of about 15 (?) friends/birders/photographers.

The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+!

Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors.

The main attraction at the Farm is the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family."

"Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini."

Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program:

www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html

""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife.

The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters.

After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website.

www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/

Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

So many old barns between Toronto and Pt Pelee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 30 May 2018 16:07:59 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Last night, I discovered that I had these five photos on a third camera (my Panasonic FZ1000). Of course, that is the downfall of using more than one camera - more complicated when dealing with the photos afterwards. The two barn photos were drive-by shots taken on the long drive from Toronto airport to our hotel, Best Western, in Leamington, Ontario. The other three photos were taken on the evening when we first arrived in Leamington, on 6 May 2018. Our hotel, Best Western, was just a short drive from Pt Pelee, and we explored a few roads outside the park before it was time to fall into bed after a long day of flying and driving. We had such a beautiful sunset that evening, 6 May 2018 and we also found a little Yellow Warbler in the trees edging Lake Erie. I'm posting these five photos all in one go, to keep them together, as they should have been the very first photos I uploaded from this trip.

Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ago.

Our four days walking at Point Pelee were interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them.

We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. If you are unfamiliar with this Conservation Area, just wait till you see a photo of the old barn that was there. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - and crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!!

We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants).

The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They also have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge). On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary.

At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking!

We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Kodiak, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to Brandy Pot Island, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for me, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno, piloted by Greg) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.

Think I had better stop typing! As I add more photos, I can add bits of extra information. We only arrived home fairly early evening on 19 May. Still so tired, especially as I was up at any time from 4:45 am to 6:00 am each morning, many hours earlier than I usually get up, being such a dreadful night owl!

Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

Old barn on drive to Pt Pelee from Toronto, Ontario

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 30 May 2018 16:06:11 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Last night, I discovered that I had these five photos on a third camera (my Panasonic FZ1000). Of course, that is the downfall of having to use more than one camera - more complicated when dealing with the photos afterwards. The two barn photos were taken on the long drive from Toronto airport to our hotel, Best Western, in Leamington, Ontario. The other three photos were taken on the evening when we first arrived in Leamington, on 6 May 2018. Our hotel, Best Western, was just a short drive from Pt Pelee, and we explored a few roads outside the park before it was time to fall into bed after a long day of flying and driving. We had such a beautiful sunset that evening, 6 May 2018 and we also found a little Yellow Warbler in the trees edging Lake Erie. I'm posting these five photos all in one go, to keep them together, as they should have been the very first photos I uploaded from this trip.

Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ago.

Our four days walking at Point Pelee were interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them.

We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. If you are unfamiliar with this Conservation Area, just wait till you see a photo of the old barn that was there. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - and crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!!

We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants).

The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They also have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge). On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary.

At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking!

We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Kodiak, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to Brandy Pot Island, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for me, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno, piloted by Greg) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.

Think I had better stop typing! As I add more photos, I can add bits of extra information. We only arrived home fairly early evening on 19 May. Still so tired, especially as I was up at any time from 4:45 am to 6:00 am each morning, many hours earlier than I usually get up, being such a dreadful night owl!

Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

Our last morning on island of Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 16:40:32 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I wish I could remember where friends and I went on our last morning, 20 March 2017, on the island of Trinidad. When I Google the names of two bird species that we saw only in that area, the name Wallerfield Airfield comes up, so maybe that is where I took two of the three photos posted this morning, 27 February 2018. This was just a short, morning outing, before returning to Asa Wright, where we spent the afternoon photographing some of the birds and packing our bags ready for leaving in the middle of the night (around 2:00 am?) to catch our flight home.

One of our first stops that morning was in the area seen in this photo. Just off to the left of this photo, we saw a little Bran-coloured Flycatcher, and a Masked Yellowthroat (seen in the previous photo). There was also a pair of Ruddy Ground-doves. I was quite surprised to see the rather fine houses in this area.

This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my dear friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

This is a video that I came across on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

Torch Ginger, deep in the shadows

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:42:44 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This shot of a gorgeous Torch Ginger was taken at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad, on 19 March 2017. Before this trip, I had only ever seen and photographed this spectacular plant species in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

"The torch ginger lily (Etlingera elatior) is a showy addition to the tropical landscape, as it is a large plant with a variety of unusual, colorful blooms. Torch ginger flowers may reach 17 to 20 feet in height. The torch ginger flowers may be red, pink or orange — blooming from colorful bracts. White blooms have been reported in some torch ginger plant information, but these are rare. Buds are edible, flavorful and used in Southeast Asian cooking." From the link below.

www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/torch-ginger-li...

"The flowers emerge between the bracts and are red with yellow margin. The bracts are tough and shiny and so perfect the flower looks artificial. Seeds are numerous. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds. The flower buds, bracts and seeds are used in Asian cuisine." From myjunglegarden.

myjunglegarden.com/2012/07/etlingera-elatior/#.WO5OT_nytaQ

"Now cultivated throughout the tropics, torch ginger is thought to be native to Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand (via Flora of China), though other sites suggest a native distribution restricted to a few islands in Indonesia. Whatever its origin, widescale planting of Etlingera elatior has made torch ginger the hallmark species of this genus of approximately 70 species. That's a very loose approximation, because researcher Dr. Axel Dalberg Poulsen reports that Borneo alone contains 29 species...." Information taken, with thanks, from the UBC Botany Photo of the Day website for May 31, 2007.

This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my dear friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

This is a video that I came across on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

Torch Ginger, Asa Wright, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 14:27:56 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Golden Tegu, Asa Wright, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 14:25:33 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken on 19 March 2017, but I also saw and photographed these huge reptiles each day that we were staying at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the island of Trinidad. They like to hang around the Asa Wright building, finding food, and then they seem to disappear into the forest for most of the day. Funny, I was fine with his huge lizard - but the tiny House Gecko that was in my bathroom in my cabin was the absolute last thing I wanted to see : ) Had some bad experiences with them when we lived in Borneo, decades ago.

"The gold tegu, also known as golden tegu, common tegu, black tegu, Colombian tegu and tiger lizard (on Trinidad), is a species of tegu. Its old scientific name (synonym) was Tupinambis nigropunctatus but it has since renamed to Tupinambis teguixin.

Gold tegus grow to be approximately 2 to 3 feet (60 to 100 cm) on average, and up to 3.5 to 4 kg in weight, with a glossy body, powerful limbs and a thick tail.[3] They have many black and gold stripes down their body. Gold tegus live in the tropical forests of northern and central South America, as well as Panama. They feed on insects, invertebrates, small mammals, reptiles and birds, as well as fish and sometimes fruit." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_tegu

This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my dear friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

This is a video that I came across on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

Torch Ginger bud, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 15:16:57 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This shot of a gorgeous Torch Ginger was taken at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on our first day there, Day 4 of our trip (excluding our day of travel to get from Alberta to Tobago, via Toronto). Before this trip, I had only ever seen and photographed this plant in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Our very first morning, 16 March 2017, we were taken on a walk along one of the trails, where we were able to see a few interesting species of bird, including two of the three species of beautiful Trogons and the fascinating Bellbird.

"The torch ginger lily (Etlingera elatior) is a showy addition to the tropical landscape, as it is a large plant with a variety of unusual, colorful blooms. Torch ginger flowers may reach 17 to 20 feet in height. The torch ginger flowers may be red, pink or orange — blooming from colorful bracts. White blooms have been reported in some torch ginger plant information, but these are rare. Buds are edible, flavorful and used in Southeast Asian cooking." From the link below.

www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/torch-ginger-li...

"The flowers emerge between the bracts and are red with yellow margin. The bracts are tough and shiny and so perfect the flower looks artificial. Seeds are numerous. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds. The flower buds, bracts and seeds are used in Asian cuisine." From myjunglegarden.

myjunglegarden.com/2012/07/etlingera-elatior/#.WO5OT_nytaQ

"Now cultivated throughout the tropics, torch ginger is thought to be native to Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand (via Flora of China), though other sites suggest a native distribution restricted to a few islands in Indonesia. Whatever its origin, widescale planting of Etlingera elatior has made torch ginger the hallmark species of this genus of approximately 70 species. That's a very loose approximation, because researcher Dr. Axel Dalberg Poulsen reports that Borneo alone contains 29 species...." Information taken, with thanks, from the UBC Botany Photo of the Day website for May 31, 2007.

This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so may have been familiar with a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders and fruit tables that are right by the huge, open veranda, as well as the plants and trees in this rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read so many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

Even after almost three months, I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

Golden Tegu, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 20 May 2017 11:26:19 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken on 16 March 2017, but I also saw and photographed these huge reptiles each day that we were staying at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the island of Trinidad. They like to hang around the Asa Wright building, finding food, and then they seem to disappear into the forest for most of the day. Funny, I was fine with his huge lizard - but the tiny House Gecko that was in my bathroom in my cabin was the absolute last thing I wanted to see : ) Had some bad experiences with them when we lived in Borneo, decades ago.

"The gold tegu, also known as golden tegu, common tegu, black tegu, Colombian tegu and tiger lizard (on Trinidad), is a species of tegu. Its old scientific name (synonym) was Tupinambis nigropunctatus but it has since renamed to Tupinambis teguixin.

Gold tegus grow to be approximately 2 to 3 feet (60 to 100 cm) on average, and up to 3.5 to 4 kg in weight, with a glossy body, powerful limbs and a thick tail.[3] They have many black and gold stripes down their body. Gold tegus live in the tropical forests of northern and central South America, as well as Panama. They feed on insects, invertebrates, small mammals, reptiles and birds, as well as fish and sometimes fruit." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_tegu

This is a video that I found on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

Even after more than two months, I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

Torch Ginger, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 19 May 2017 15:27:25 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This shot of a gorgeous Torch Ginger was taken at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on our first day there, Day 4 of our trip (excluding our day of travel to get from Alberta to Tobago, via Toronto). Before this trip, I had only ever seen and photographed this plant in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Our very first morning, 16 March 2017, we were taken on a walk along one of the trails, where we were able to see a few interesting species of bird, including two of the three species of beautiful Trogons and the fascinating Bellbird.

"The torch ginger lily (Etlingera elatior) is a showy addition to the tropical landscape, as it is a large plant with a variety of unusual, colorful blooms. Torch ginger flowers may reach 17 to 20 feet in height. The torch ginger flowers may be red, pink or orange — blooming from colorful bracts. White blooms have been reported in some torch ginger plant information, but these are rare. Buds are edible, flavorful and used in Southeast Asian cooking." From the link below.

www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/torch-ginger-li...

"The flowers emerge between the bracts and are red with yellow margin. The bracts are tough and shiny and so perfect the flower looks artificial. Seeds are numerous. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds. The flower buds, bracts and seeds are used in Asian cuisine." From myjunglegarden.

myjunglegarden.com/2012/07/etlingera-elatior/#.WO5OT_nytaQ

"Now cultivated throughout the tropics, torch ginger is thought to be native to Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand (via Flora of China), though other sites suggest a native distribution restricted to a few islands in Indonesia. Whatever its origin, widescale planting of Etlingera elatior has made torch ginger the hallmark species of this genus of approximately 70 species. That's a very loose approximation, because researcher Dr. Axel Dalberg Poulsen reports that Borneo alone contains 29 species...." Information taken, with thanks, from the UBC Botany Photo of the Day website for May 31, 2007.

This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

Even after more than two months, I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

Golden Tegu, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 18 May 2017 12:59:47 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken on 16 March 2017, but I also saw and photographed these huge reptiles each day that we were staying at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the island of Trinidad. They like to hang around the Asa Wright building, finding food, and then they seem to disappear into the forest for most of the day. Funny, I was fine with his huge lizard - but the tiny House Gecko that was in my bathroom in my cabin was the absolute last thing I wanted to see : ) Had some bad experiences with them when we lived in Borneo, decades ago.

"The gold tegu, also known as golden tegu, common tegu, black tegu, Colombian tegu and tiger lizard (on Trinidad), is a species of tegu. Its old scientific name (synonym) was Tupinambis nigropunctatus but it has since renamed to Tupinambis teguixin.

Gold tegus grow to be approximately 2 to 3 feet (60 to 100 cm) on average, and up to 3.5 to 4 kg in weight, with a glossy body, powerful limbs and a thick tail.[3] They have many black and gold stripes down their body. Gold tegus live in the tropical forests of northern and central South America, as well as Panama. They feed on insects, invertebrates, small mammals, reptiles and birds, as well as fish and sometimes fruit." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_tegu

This is a video that I found on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.

Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself!

What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so may have been familiar with a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.

The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.

Even after a few weeks, I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.

Lotus, Nariva Swamp afternoon, Trinidad

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 16 May 2017 17:04:36 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

In the afternoon of Day 6 of our trip to Trinidad & Tobago, 18 March 2017, my friends and I visited the Nariva Swamp on the east coast of Trinidad, which is mainly agricultural habitats with some wetlands. We had some good birding there and last night I posted photos of a few more of the birds we saw. We also saw a few interesting plants, especially the Sacred Lotus. This is one of my favourite things to photograph in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

"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.

www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera

"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 get larger and larger until the pod bends over to finally release the seeds into the water."

www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm

"The Nariva Swamp is the largest freshwater wetland in Trinidad and Tobago and has been designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The swamp is located on the east coast of Trinidad, immediately inland from the Manzanilla Bay through Biche and covers over 60 square kilometres (23 mi). The Nariva Swamp is extremely biodiverse. It is home to 45 mammal species, 39 reptile species, 33 fish species, 204 bird species, 19 frog species, 213 insect species and 15 mollusc species. All this contained in just 60 square kilometers.

The area provides important habitat for waterfowl and is key habitat for the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), caimans, anacondas, boa constrictors, red howler monkeys, white-fronted capuchin monkeys, numerous species of parrots, including both the blue-and-gold macaw and red-bellied macaws, as well as many wetland and savanna birds.

Four major wetland vegetation types occur in the Nariva Swamp - mangrove swamp forest, palm forest, swamp wood, and freshwater marsh." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nariva_Swamp

www.ima.gov.tt/home/images/publications/brochures/NARIVA_...

www.destinationtnt.com/nariva-swamp/

This is a video that I found on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

This afternoon, I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

Lotus, Nariva Swamp afternoon

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 16 May 2017 05:06:51 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

In the afternoon of Day 6 of our trip to Trinidad & Tobago, 18 March 2017, my friends and I visited the Nariva Swamp on the east coast of Trinidad, which is mainly agricultural habitats with some wetlands. We had some good birding there and last night I posted photos of a few more of the birds we saw. We also saw a few interesting plants, especially the Sacred Lotus. This is one of my favourite things to photograph in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

"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.

www.holisticaroma.co.uk/shp/TheSacredLotus.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera

"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 get larger and larger until the pod bends over to finally release the seeds into the water."

www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm

"The Nariva Swamp is the largest freshwater wetland in Trinidad and Tobago and has been designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The swamp is located on the east coast of Trinidad, immediately inland from the Manzanilla Bay through Biche and covers over 60 square kilometres (23 mi). The Nariva Swamp is extremely biodiverse. It is home to 45 mammal species, 39 reptile species, 33 fish species, 204 bird species, 19 frog species, 213 insect species and 15 mollusc species. All this contained in just 60 square kilometers.

The area provides important habitat for waterfowl and is key habitat for the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), caimans, anacondas, boa constrictors, red howler monkeys, white-fronted capuchin monkeys, numerous species of parrots, including both the blue-and-gold macaw and red-bellied macaws, as well as many wetland and savanna birds.

Four major wetland vegetation types occur in the Nariva Swamp - mangrove swamp forest, palm forest, swamp wood, and freshwater marsh." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nariva_Swamp

www.destinationtnt.com/nariva-swamp/

This is a video that I found on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.

youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M

This afternoon, I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.

youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk