Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: orange eyes

Late afternoon on 7 October 2015, I decided to call in at Fish Creek Park on the way home from a volunteer shift. The weather was beautiful, and I'm supposed to do lots of walking (which I don't). A young couple walking by mentioned that they had just seen a young Black-crowned Night Heron, and I was so lucky that it was still there. From a distance, the bird was so well-camouflaged against the background. It stayed in one place and then, just when the light was fading and I needed to leave, the Heron leaned forward and then climbed down into the water. We had been hoping it would catch one of the many fish that we could see, but it didn't. My battery had just died and, for once, I didn't have a spare battery with me. Usually, when I have seen a Black-crowned Night Heron, it has been far, far away except for one occasion, when a young one flew right over my head at the Frank Lake blind, SE of Calgary. "Black-crowned Night-Herons are stocky birds compared to many of their long-limbed heron relatives. They’re most active at night or at dusk, when you may see their ghostly forms flapping out from daytime roosts to forage in wetlands. In the light of day adults are striking in gray-and-black plumage and long white head plumes. These social birds breed in colonies of stick nests usually built over water. They live in fresh, salt, and brackish wetlands and are the most widespread heron in the world." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-crowned_night_heron

Late afternoon on 7 October 2015, I decided to call in at Fish Creek Park on the way home from a volunteer shift. The weather was beautiful, and I'm supposed to do lots of walking (which I don't). There was another bird that I would have liked to see, but I was out of luck for that one. However, a young couple mentioned that they had just seen a young Black-crowned Night Heron, and I was so lucky that it was still there. From a distance, the bird was so well-camouflaged against the background. Unfortunately, the background was not photogenic at all, no matter where one stood, but it was so nice to see this beautiful young bird. It stayed in one place and then, just when the light was fading and I needed to leave, the Heron leaned forward and then climbed down into the water. We had been hoping it would catch one of the many fish that we could see, but it didn't. My battery had just died and, for once, I didn't have a spare battery with me. Usually, when I have seen a Black-crowned Night Heron, it has been far, far away except for one occasion, when a young one flew right over my head at the Frank Lake blind, SE of Calgary. "Black-crowned Night-Herons are stocky birds compared to many of their long-limbed heron relatives. They’re most active at night or at dusk, when you may see their ghostly forms flapping out from daytime roosts to forage in wetlands. In the light of day adults are striking in gray-and-black plumage and long white head plumes. These social birds breed in colonies of stick nests usually built over water. They live in fresh, salt, and brackish wetlands and are the most widespread heron in the world." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-crowned_night_heron

This is far from being a good photo, which is why I am slipping it in as the third photo this morning. Usually, I rarely ever see these Black-crowned Night Herons and when I have seen one, it has been a large speck in the distance. This one was high up in a tall tree and, as you might guess from the photo, the light was not good. Unfortunately, you can't tell that it has beautiful, bright orange eyes. I will add a previously posted, better image of this bird, taken at the same location on 7 October, in a comment box below. This photo was taken on 9 October 2015, when I decided to drive to the east end of Fish Creek Park and walk down to the Lafarge Meadows area to see if there was any sign of this Night Heron. Two days earlier, I had been lucky enough to see it closer, in a small pond and in much better light. This time, it was much more difficult to find. "Black-crowned Night-Herons are stocky birds compared to many of their long-limbed heron relatives. They’re most active at night or at dusk, when you may see their ghostly forms flapping out from daytime roosts to forage in wetlands. In the light of day adults are striking in gray-and-black plumage and long white head plumes. These social birds breed in colonies of stick nests usually built over water. They live in fresh, salt, and brackish wetlands and are the most widespread heron in the world." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-crowned_night_heron

Yesterday late afternoon, 7 October 2015, I decided to call in at Fish Creek Park on the way home from a volunteer shift. The weather was beautiful, and I'm supposed to do lots of walking (which I don't). There was another bird that I would have liked to see, but I was out of luck for that one. However, a young couple mentioned that they had just seen a young Black-crowned Night Heron, and I was so lucky that it was still there. From a distance, the bird was so well-camouflaged against the background. Unfortunately, the background was not photogenic at all, no matter where one stood, but it was so nice to see this beautiful young bird. Usually, when I have seen a Black-crowned Night Heron, it has been far, far away except for one occasion, when a young one flew right over my head at the Frank Lake blind - previously posted photo added to a comment box below. "Black-crowned Night-Herons are stocky birds compared to many of their long-limbed heron relatives. They’re most active at night or at dusk, when you may see their ghostly forms flapping out from daytime roosts to forage in wetlands. In the light of day adults are striking in gray-and-black plumage and long white head plumes. These social birds breed in colonies of stick nests usually built over water. They live in fresh, salt, and brackish wetlands and are the most widespread heron in the world." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-crowned_night_heron

I had never seen a Sandhill Crane swimming before, so it came as a surprise when I found two of them taking a swim in a pond at the Calgary Zoo. Taken on 8th October 2010.

This was the first time I had seen a Sandhill Crane swimming, so it felt quite strange. Taken on a pond at the Calgary Zoo more than a year ago, on 8th October 2010. The handful of Sandhill Cranes that I have seen in the wild were either very high up in flight or on land far, far away.