Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: FeatheryFriday

Found this rather sleepy little guy sitting on a branch in the outdoor enclosure at the Calgary Zoo. Most of the tiny Burrowing Owls are free to fly around in the Conservatory.

Just a tiny, white feather I saw on my walk two days ago. I liked the pattern seen in the part that is a little sharper than the rest.

Here is a somewhat better photo of the new baby Great Horned Owl from the family that I watch closely. All the closer photos I took today turned out really useless, though I am posting one of them with some lightening added. My camera just won't handle shots taken in amongst the trees, especially on a grey, dull day like today. This shot was taken a bit further away and the lighting did improve. What a mess there is on the ground everywhere - lots of downy feathers from this little guy/gal (can anyone tell which it is??), feathers from birds that have been eaten, a dead whole sparrow, and of course white droppings everywhere. I actually saw Mom fly across the grove of trees and back, just as I arrived. She sat a few branches higher than Baby, in the same tree - but a different tree from a few days ago. Happy Feathery Friday!

One of the beautiful Snowy Owls at the Calgary Zoo. Not sure if this is the adult female or one of the three young ones from last year. I head for these as soon as I get inside the Zoo grounds! Would rather it was a wild one, but these captive ones are all I can get to, other than on a very rare occasion. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone! And Happy Easter, too!

My usual little White-breasted Nuthatch (male). Happy Feathery Friday, everyone!

I think this is the adult female Snowy Owl at the Calgary Zoo - i.e. Mom. Her three young ones from last year all look like her now. She was exercising her wings for a moment. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone!

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of one of the birds sitting on the hood!

Caught this little Nuthatch in a rather strange pose, but that blue sky from a week ago sure looks good at the moment. This photo is #264 today, 10th February 2007.

For some strange reason, the Chickadees were easier to photograph this afternoon. A female White-tailed Deer and her two young ones were hanging around nearby, feeding amongst the bushes. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone! The highest this photo got in Explore was #29 on 14th January 2007.

This little Chickadee lives in a grove of spruce trees in one of the local parks. Its neighbours include Ruffed Grouse, Great Horned Owls, Gray Jays and a Pileated Woodpecker to name but a few. The highest this photo got in Explore was #225 on 18th January 2007.

Not a very sharp photo, but it's OK seen small! It was almost as if he was playing 'Hide and seek" with me around the tree trunk at times. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone!

Oops, again - my flash delayed the photo of this Northern Flicker, but I ended up with this gorgeous display of colour and pattern instead! So beautiful.

Now, what else would you expect me to use other than BIRDS, LOL?!! These feathered friends join me in wishing each one of you Flickr Friends a very Happy Christmas and all the very best in the New Year! A special wish for those of you who may spend the holiday on your own - if so, perhaps you could go for a walk or a drive and take a special photo to post for me? My thanks to all my loyal Flickr visitors and to those of you who have taken a look at one or more of my photos at some time. Your interest keeps my enthusiasm alive and I have learned all sorts of things from seeing the stunning photos that you post. I'm really looking forward to sharing 2007 with you all. Have a happy, healthy, safe and peaceful time! HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Anne

This guy landed on a log quite close to me this afternoon, posed, and gave me the chance to finally get a reasonable photo of a Hairy Woodpecker. Out of luck with the little Downy Woodpecker - maybe next time? Happy Feathery Friday, everyone! (Note to self: I used a horizontal version of this image for my 2008 calendar).

Another photo taken at the Calgary Zoo. Happy Feathery Friday! The highest this got in Explore was #39 on 1st December 2006.

Amazingly, there were no annoying little branches or leaves between the owl and myself. I have seen this particular pair of Great Horned Owls so many times. They live down by Sikome Lake in Fish Creek Park. Earlier this year, I saw the mother high up in their nesting tree with a baby down by her feet. Very cute.

Canada Goose goslings are always a favourite each spring and early summer. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone!