Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: pool

Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! We arrived in Waterton (from Calgary) around 1:00 pm on Friday, 7 July 2017, stopped and had lunch in town and then went to see the Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cold spray felt so good on such a hot day (32C)! "These falls are also the site of the oldest rock in the entire Canadian Rocky Mountain range! Precambrian bedrock dating 1.5 billion years (1500 million years) old has become exposed and is visible near the falls. This is one of many examples of Waterton Park's amazing geology!" From link below. www.watertonpark.com/gallery/cameron_falls.htm Afterwards, we drove 16 km up the Akamina Parkway, to Cameron Lake, stopping along the road to photograph a few of the thousands of beautiful Bear Grass flowers. Many were growing along the edge of the road, but in places, you could look through the forest and see many more. We also stopped to look at the Penstemon plants, and I was delighted to see a small Orange False Dandelion plant in bloom. I've only ever seen about three of these plants before. A very quick stop at Cameron Lake itself and then we were on our way back down the Akamina Parkway so that we could go up the Red Rock Canyon Parkway, to visit the beautiful canyon with its amazing red rocks. On the way there, we made a quick stop to check for a Lazuli Bunting. We were in luck, though I could only get very distant shots of this beautiful little bird. After a while, we needed to get to the Canyon Youth Camp, where we would be staying two nights. Supper was being served at 6:00 pm, but we could check in any time after 5:00 pm. After supper, most people went on a hike up to Crandell Lake, but I decided not to go, as I remembered what the trail was like. I did follow everyone for just a very short way but knew that I was not going to do the rest of the hike. Instead, I walked around the camp, finding a few flowers to photograph, and then I bumped into the camp manager and we got talking. I mentioned one of my favourite plants, Pinedrops, that I had seen last year on one of the paths that led out of the camp. The manager said he had already checked, but had only found last year's dead stems. He took me back to the location - and I spotted several new stems partly hidden in the long grasses. He was so happy to see that this plant was doing well, after all. He also took me on a short walk through the edge of the forest and down to the river. About 20 minutes after we got back to the camp buildings, a Black Bear wandered along the edge of the same trees that we had walked through to get to the river! Could only get a really poor photo that I probably won't post - or maybe I will, just for my own records. Shortly after this sighting, everyone else arrived back at the camp, and it was time to get to bed before all the lights were turned off. Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 6 photos from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. No idea why - the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity had some effect. For some species, I am going to post awful shots, just for the record. It will take me forever to do any kind of write-up about this trip, but eventually, I hope to get some kind of description written. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary two evenings ago, on 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself unpacked and organized. Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. 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 one-week holiday 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, 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, larger island of Trinidad. What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite 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. The Asa Wright Nature Centre 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 that live in the area, high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, 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! And now I am going to take a break from typing and go and make myself some breakfast - already missing the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I don't drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious.

I have been taking so few photos recently, so am now having to dig into my archives most of the time. The few times I have been out, I have either seen nothing or nothing that I can photograph. I am longing for a day out with tons of things to see and photograph : ) When I visited the Calgary Zoo on 28 September 2014, I called in at the Penguin Plunge and found this Humboldt Penguin having a swim outside. This species is named after the cold water current it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer. "The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

This photo of a Humboldt Penguin was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 28 September 2014. "There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

Humboldt Penguins outside at the Calgary Zoo, on 4 October 2012. "There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

Seen on the third day of our week's trip down to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Tetons. Artemisia Geyser is a fountain geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. We parked in the parking lot, crossed the road and walked along the Artemisia Trail for quite some distance, passing several other geysers/pools. We had hoped to find the Morning Glory pool, but were out of luck. "Artemisia Geyser is part of the Cascade Group which includes the Atomizer Geyser. It erupts for a duration of 15 to 25 minutes once or twice per day. The fountain reaches a height of 30 feet (9.1 m). Artemisia's pool overflows quietly for many hours before an eruption, but gives no visible warning of an impending eruption until the sudden increase in overflow that marks the eruption's onset. Eruptions are accompanied by a strong underground thumping caused by steam bubbles collapsing in the geyser's channels. Artemisia also experiences minor eruptions lasting about 5 minutes. These minor eruptions are followed by major eruptions within six hours. Minor eruptions are rare. Years may pass between episodes of minor eruptions. In 2009, intervals between eruptions ranged from 9 to 36 hours, averaging 18 hours, 43 minutes." From Wikipedia.

Can't complain that the sun was shining brightly yesterday, but unfortunately this Humboldt Penguin was facing the sun and I did a great job of blowing out the white feathers : ) "There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

The adult female (i.e. Mom) made her way into the tiny pool in this separated area that is used when certain of the Amur Tigers at the Calgary Zoo have to be kept away from the other adult Tigers. Her three cubs, born March 30, 2012, joined her instantly and had great fun climbing over her back and playing with her tail - they love it in there! Photographed though a very dirty window with reflections of all the people watching in front of me and behind me, but a little darkening made it fit to post : ) Taken on 21 August 2012.

I don't remember seeing one of the Siberian Tigers at the Calgary Zoo actually in the stream that runs through their enormous enclosure before. Taken on August 26th. "The endangered Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Amur, Altaic, Korean, North Chinese or Ussuri tiger, is a subspecies of tiger which once ranged throughout Western Asia, Central Asia and eastern Russia, and as far east as Alaska during prehistoric times, though it is now completely confined to the Amur-Ussuri region of Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in far eastern Siberia, where it is now protected. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger Later note added on 14 June 2012: Tigers that used to be known as Siberian Tigers are now known as Amur Tigers. The name change is because their range now only includes the Amur Valley in Eastern Siberia.

These flowers are so stunning and I feel very lucky to have the chance to see them in the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo.