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

Solitary Sandpiper

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 02 May 2009 21:57:35 +0000

I spent this morning with friends at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Always enjoyable seeing an Osprey, a Bald Eagle and a Red-tailed Hawk. Also a Double-crested Cormorant flying low over the Bow River, a Solitary Sandpiper at the edge of the lagoon (seen above), a Red-breasted Merganser, and a few Wood Ducks (plus the usual, such as Canada Geese, Gulls, Mallards, Common Mergansers, Goldeneye, etc.) It has been a beautiful spring day today - just gorgeous!

Camera shy

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:41:23 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

We saw something like 500 Bohemian Waxwings down at Burnsmead the other day. They would land in the tree tops and then they would all fly down to the ground and take mouthfuls of snow, en masse. Too many branches and bushes in the way for any decent shots, but this one did land on this low branch - though this pose is not the best, LOL. However, it was this or nothing, so I'm going with "this", as I rarely get to see Bohemians this close. Unlike a few of my other Bohemian photos, this bird is a typical, sleek one, not puffed up against the cold.

Doing what comes naturally

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:48:54 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I was so happy today when I discovered that the male Great Horned Owl in a local park had finally moved to one of the "usual" trees he perches in, across from the nesting tree! Each year, when his mate is on the nest, he sits across the narrow road from the tall tree stump in which they nest, staying close by. He tends to stay here all day, every day, and rarely bothers to open his eyes. It looks like he is just above eye level, but in fact is sitting quite high in the tree. The lighting is not good in the owl grove, but I love to call in and see him : (. Note his talons!

Pine Grosbeak

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:50:46 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I managed a walk in Weaselhead this morning - seemed to be feeling not too bad, but maybe I should have stayed home all day instead : ). We were lucky to see some Pine Grosbeaks there and a couple were beautiful, red males, including this one.

Giving me the look

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:14:31 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I've been so lucky that I've had two outings to see these rare to uncommon Northern Hawk Owls, north west of our city. A different friend took me with them and both times we were blessed with deep blue sky and sunshine. These owls are so fascinating and aren't fazed at all by humans. My photos are distant ones but cropped heavily : ). Their expressions are varied and rather amusing.

Owl with attitude

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:17:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I don't know what this Great Horned Owl's "problem" was : ) I think this was the male, down at Sikome, Fish Creek Park. One of his two owlets was in the next tree, screeching non-stop, so presumably it was hungry. Dad turned round to look at me once and then ignored me. I've read that flattened eartufts mean that the bird is under stress, but it was not from my presence. Half a dozen shots and I was out of there anyway. Though it looks like I was very close to this owl, in fact he was way up in a tall tree! Lighting was grim, in amongst the trees. No sign of Mom and the other owlet.

I know you're there

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:50:42 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Three of us spent some time this afternoon photographing two amazing Pileated Woodpeckers in Fish Creek Park. It doesn't matter how many times I see one of these huge, almost prehistoric looking birds, I am still filled with awe. The two today kept flying from tree to tree and occasionally to a log. One of the biggest challenges is to try and get a photo with no twigs or blades of grass in the way!! They gave us a chance to shoot in different settings, which was really nice and much appreciated. For those of you who are not familiar with this Woodpecker, this is a female - the male has a red moustache, but not the female. Also, the female's red crest starts on the crown, whereas the male's crest begins at the forehead. In Alberta, the Pileated Woodpecker is uncommon to common year-round.

Peaceful

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:06:52 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This Trumpeter Swan at the Calgary Zoo was resting quietly while its mate slowly floated nearby. I always think they look so beautiful when they tuck their head into those soft feathers. I see Trumpeter Swans in the wild, too, but always from a distance.

He made our day!

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:06:28 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A friend and I spent part of today driving the gravel roads east of the city, including the Irricana and Shepard areas. Snowy Owls had been reported recently, so off we went in the hopes of possibly finding one. Well, we were so lucky, seeing three different ones. This is the first one, then we saw the next one on a fence post way across a field. The third one was perched high up (like the one in the image above) on a tangle of wires, so really not a very beautiful setting : ) Always SO amazing to see a Snowy Owl, especially on a lovely sunny day. Not the sharpest of images because of pointing my camera up towards the sky, but I'll take any image that I manage to get of one of these magnificent owls : )

Beautiful evening light

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:19:19 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I'm usually home in the evenings, but a few days ago, I stayed out longer than usual. I bumped into Flickr friend, Ron, just as I was on my way home after driving some of the side roads south of the city. I followed him back to an area where we had both seen a Great Gray Owl recently and, to our delight, we got the chance to see and photograph him/her again. When I was on my way headed home a second time, I passed two of these beautiful Wilson's Snipes, posing perfectly on fence posts : ) I saw how amazing the evening light can be - this photo is much nicer than any of my previous Snipe photos, taken in ordinary daylight. Taken from my car window : )

King of the Spruce tree

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:30:41 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A somewhat different kind of Black-capped Chickadee photo from what I usually post. I liked the Spruce branch on which it's perched and also the bokeh.

That focussed look

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:53:07 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Another photo taken at the Calgary Zoo, on the day when this gorgeous Great Gray Owl skimmed my head twice and my jacket sleeve once! It was perched on a tree stump, maybe 8 or 9 feet from me and caught me totally off guard when it flew "at" me! I think it just wanted to get to the other side of the path, LOL. Such a beautifully marked bird of prey. With its head lowered slightly, you get a better view of the pattern created by all those tiny feathers.

Feathered beauty

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:33:21 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A little White-breasted Nuthatch on a wooden bridge railing. I always think they have such a neat feather pattern. They have a long back claw, which enables them to climb down tree trunks head first.

What do you mean, you've got no food?

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:54:17 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Isn't this the cutest little thing? I love having Red-breasted Nuthatches fly down to my hand - they are so small and light and dainty. Saw this little guy in Fish Creek Park on 31st December last year.

Explore Front Page, 19th November 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans!

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:52:20 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans, with an extra wish for safety to those who are serving their country overseas! Now, if only I could say that I took this close shot of a Bald Eagle in the wild! However, as you probably already guessed, it was at the Calgary Zoo. I think of photos like this one, though, when I'm watching an Eagle flying or perched in a tall tree the far side of the Bow River. So incredible.

Little cutie

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:23:58 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Love the feather colours and pattern of these little White-breasted Nuthatches - I always think they look very smartly dressed : ) As you can see, they have a large back claw, which helps them cling to a tree trunk when they climb down head first. Gosh, took this photo almost two years ago.

Nuthatch with a mohawk

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:31:20 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

When I called in at a local park two days ago, this little Nuthatch was one of only a handful of birds that I could find. It was SO cold, my camera barely worked, and half an hour was more than enough for me, LOL. This little guy has a couple of feathers sticking up on top of his jet-black head. The light was fading, so I had to use flash.

Winter colours

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:52:12 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I loved the colours in this photo of a cold, little Black-capped Chickadee, seen down in the park on a long morning walk yesterday. These birds are only 24 hours away from death - if they don't manage to find enough to eat and put on a layer of fat overnight, then they will perish.

Wilson's Snipe

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:24:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A Wilson's Snipe who posed very cooperatively for me along the Priddis Valley Road, south west of the city. Their camouflage is amazing when they are standing amongst the dried grass and reeds at the edge of a pond or slough.

I'm still drooling : )

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:37:49 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Bumped into Flickr friend, Ron, yesterday evening, along one of the gravelly side roads southwest of the city. He was just heading out to the area where we had both seen a Great Gray Owl previously, so I followed him back to where I had been maybe an hour or two earlier. This time, this magnificent owl was perched on a fence post in glorious evening light! So amazing to see and watch this large bird of prey! Hope s/he doesn't eat any of the baby Mountain Bluebirds that I found down in the grass just along the road!

(Note to self: this image was included in the book, "Owls of the World; a Photographic Guide", by Heimo Mikkola.)