Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: enclosure

Thank you so much, Shirley, for inviting us all out to visit you yesterday (25 August 2018) while you were out again at your summer trailer at Eagle Lake for the weekend! It was a fairly cool day, which was great, but the smoke is still being blown in from the wildfires in British Columbia. I was just reading an article this morning about the awful air quality in Seattle and theirs has been roughly the same as ours. They reckon the very poor air quality is equivalent to smoking seven cigarettes a day. It was such a pleasure to see some of "your" birds that you enjoy so much. Compared to our visit on 17 June 2017, there were fewer species to be seen, but enough to keep us happy. I think the highlight for me was a Western Kingbird that posed so beautifully on a tangle of metal pipes down near the edge of the water. I also loved taking a couple of quick shots of this cute goat just as we were leaving. We had stopped so that one of us could get out and buy several food items from a Hutterite stand that was in the trailer campground. I got out to get a bottle of water from my backpack in the back of the car and a friend in the car behind caught my attention and pointed out this animal posing so nicely. Great to see everyone who went, and we all enjoyed an array of delicious salads and desserts that left me feeling full till the early evening. We also enjoyed meeting your two Grandchildren, Shirley, who happened to be staying with you for the weekend. So good to see them both making lists of the bird species seen. Many thanks, Anne B, for driving some of us us east across the prairies. Hugely appreciated, as always!

This morning started off overcast and now, unexpectedly, it has started to snow. I'm sure snow was not in the forecast. Ha, five minutes later, and the snow has stopped. I'm posting three less-than-inspiring images this morning, mainly as a record of a very enjoyable day out. Yesterday, 21 February 2018, I spent the day with two friends, driving the back roads NW of the city, especially hoping for any owls. No luck with Great Gray Owls, but my friends did an amazing job of spotting two extremely distant Short-eared Owls. I would never even have noticed the birds and, if I had, I would simply have thought 'Ravens'. They were way across a valley, barely visible, seen flying and, for a moment, perched on top of a distant tree. The photo I managed to get when one owl took off from the tree top is not even 'good' enough to post. Just four or five seconds out of the car and it was so unbearably cold for some reason, even though the temperature was not unusually low. Along one of the roads, we passed an outdoor enclosure full of domestic birds that looked like Pheasants/Grouse. Last night, I tried to find the ID for the bird in this photo, but was unsuccessful. One friend thought it might be a Chukar, but I don't think it is. At another location, we stopped to take a look at 'something' that was lying at the side of the gravel road. I posted a rather unpleasant photo of it today, hoping that maybe someone might recognize what it is. To me, the legs and feet look like a Turkey, but there were white feathers scattered everywhere. I don't know if anyone in the area has domestic Turkeys, but I don't think Wild Turkeys have any white feathers. Maybe it died and the owner tossed the bird so that wildlife could feed on it? With Coyotes and various Owls in the area, it may have been prey. Wildlife seen during the day included a morning treat of a huge flock of an estimated 5,000 Snow Buntings, mainly in flight like a swarm of insects, but also picking up gravel (?) from the road way ahead of us. Such a beautiful sight, especially when in flight. When they land in a field, it is so impressive to see the ground covered in these small, white birds. Unfortunately, a couple of unidentified Falcons flew in and scattered them. Other wildlife included a couple of distant Coyotes together, and two Rough-legged Hawks. Everything seen yesterday was much too far away, even with a reasonable zoom, but each and every sighting was much appreciated, especially the Short-eared Owls and the Buntings. Thanks so much, guys, for inviting me!

"The CEI (Cochrane Ecological Institute) is a family founded, charitable organization devoted to breeding endangered species for reintroduction, wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release, educating the public, monitoring habitat and species, and developing non intrusive wildlife survey methods. The CEI was founded (1971) by Miles and Beryl Smeeton and is now run by their daughter, Clio Smeeton. Miles and Beryl Smeeton were internationally known sailors, mountaineers, and explorers. The Smeetons initiated the swift fox reintroduction program in Canada in 1972, six years before the species was declared extirpated in Canada. All animals held at the CEI are destined for reintroduction. They are not maintained for public exhibit, trade, or sale. Over the 26 years of its existence the CEI has also been an integral part of the Canadian Wildlife Service's Trumpeter swan (Cygnus bucinnator) and wood bison (B.b.athabascae) reintroduction programs, as well as playing a key role in the Canadian swift fox reintroduction program. The CEI is unique in that it holds the world's longest established (1972), largest (20 pairs), and only captive breeding colony of swift fox. These animals are bred solely for reintroduction as part of the CEI's ecosystem restoration program. Internationally, as species and habitat vanish, the concept of ecosystem restoration through the reintroduction of indigenous flora and fauna, is gaining greater and greater prominence. The preservation of habitat without those species, which made that habitat a viable whole, is a sterile exercise." From the CEI's website. www.ceinst.org/about-us.html "Cochrane Ecological Institute's Swift Fox Reintroduction programs began in 1972 under the direction of Beryl and Miles Smeeton. Since that time 0ver 800 Swift fox were reintroduced to the Canadian Prairie. This has resulted in the Species being downlisted by the Canadian Government from Extirpated to Endangered. In 1998 the CEI was invited by the Blackfeet Tribal Fish and Wildlife Department, Browning, Montana to join in a partnership to start the first swift fox re-introduction in the USA on the Blackfeet Tribal Lands. Defenders of Wildlife also became partners in this project and the first swift foxes were released on Blackfeet land in the fall of 1998.This program continued until 2003. The CEI was requested to design and implement a Swift Fox reintroduction program on Blood reserve lands in Alberta Canada in 2003. This resulted in only a 2 year program because of complications resulting from permitting problems and the new Species at Risk Act in Canada." From the CEI website. Friend, Gayle, had made an appointment to go to this Centre yesterday, 9 December 2017, and invited me to go along, too. I had longed to visit and, a few years ago, two friends and I were all set to go, but a major storm prevented us from going. Made an interesting morning yesterday, going on a tour of the grounds with our guide, Lisa Dahlseide. I know Lisa in connection with the Weaselhead Natural Area and it was so nice to see that she was going to be our leader for this walk. She has such a wealth of knowledge and her personality is very much a "people person", including doing a lot of work with young children and nature. As well as being a busy mother of three young children, she is part time Naturalist with Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society and the Education Director for the Cochrane Ecological Institute. Unfortunately, I was too busy being distracted by taking photos of things, that I missed a lot of the explanations for the animals/birds that we saw. I always think that I will be able to find information once I get home and get on the Internet, but that doesn't always happen. "Wildlife" that we saw including several (4?) Bison that had originally been brought up from Waterton years ago; the deer; several Wild Turkeys; a Great Horned Owl that is unable to be released and, apparently, does not have the right personality for being trained as a Wildlife Ambassador; and a pair of birds that I have never seen before - White Pheasants. I missed the explanation for these Pheasants, unfortunately. After our visit to the Centre, we drove to Cochrane for an enjoyable lunch. Took a while to drive round looking for somewhere to eat - I had no idea that Cochrane had grown so much. Thanks so much, Gayle, for a different kind of day! Much enjoyed and appreciated.

These two birds were with several other kinds of chicken and two or three Turkeys at the Saskatoon Farm on 22 May 2016. This is a great place to visit, roughly a 20-minute drive south of Calgary. They have a huge pen (cage) that contains these birds. They were constantly on the move, but I managed to get a few photos through the wires. www.saskatoonfarm.com/ My daughter and I spent a great day together, as a slightly early treat for my birthday : ) Always my favourite way to spend a day! We weren't quite sure what we would be doing, as it depended on how my daughter was feeling - so much pain. We did know for sure that we were going straight to the Saskatoon Farm for a delicious meal, though. We took a look inside two of their greenhouses, full of colourful flowers. Not a day for walking outside, as it poured with rain the whole day. After the Saskatoon Farm, we went westwards into Okotoks, so that we could visit the little rustic antique place, All through the House. From there, we drove various back roads, looking for any birds that might not be hiding from the cold and rain. I was so happy that we saw a couple of Snipe standing on fence posts, as they make such beautiful photos. We even saw several hawks - more than I usually see when I go for a drive. Thanks so much, Rachel, for a much-enjoyed day and thank you for the (as always) carefully chosen gifts and cards. Most of all, thank you for spending the day with me!

This rather fancy chicken was with several other kinds of chicken and two or three Turkeys at the Saskatoon Farm yesterday, 22 May 2016. This is a great place to visit, roughly a 20-minute drive south of Calgary. They have a huge pen (cage) that contains these birds. They were constantly on the move, but I just managed to get a few photos through the wires. "The Brahma is a gentle giant and another wonderfully sweet and broody breed. Quiet, calm and even-tempered, it’s exceptionally cold hardy and the hens are great winter layers. Because of its feathered legs and shanks, it’s best not to keep this breed in excessively wet or muddy regions, as moisture can cling to the feathers, leading to frostbite on the toes. Otherwise, the Brahma is a great addition to flocks, especially in northern regions. It handles confinement very well and isn’t as active as other breeds that prefer to forage; this makes them great for smaller spaces, too." From hobbyfarms.com www.hobbyfarms.com/5-broody-chicken-breeds-great-for-hatc... All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 22 May 2016, when my daughter and I spent a great day together, as a slightly early treat for my birthday : ) Always my favourite way to spend a day! We weren't quite sure what we would be doing, as it depended on how my daughter was feeling - so much pain, while waiting for surgery. We did know for sure that we were going straight to the Saskatoon Farm for a delicious meal, though. We took a look inside two of their greenhouses, full of colourful flowers. Not a day for walking outside, as it poured with rain the whole day. In fact, it has barely stopped at all the last couple of days, with the added surprise of a few minutes of falling snow early yesterday morning. If we could only send at least some of our rain up north to help with everyone fighting the devastating wildfire that continues to spread! That whole area has been getting some rain apparently, but not enough to put an end to the fire's destructive path. The whole province has been a tinder box, waiting to go up in flames, so we are very grateful for the rain that's falling. Just a shame that it is on our long weekend for Victoria Day. I haven't checked yet, but especially the mountain area was forecast to have a lot of snow, so I woud imagine a lot of campers will have returned to the city already. The temperature yesterday morning was 2C (windchill -2C) and it remained cold all day, just like the day before, when I was out with my camera all day. After the Saskatoon Farm, we went westwards into Okotoks, so that we could visit the little rustic antique place, All through the House. From there, we drove various back roads, looking for any birds that might not be hiding from the cold and rain. I was so happy that we saw a couple of Snipe standing on fence posts, as they make such beautiful photos. We even saw several hawks - more than I usually see when I go for a drive. The one in the photo I posted this morning was one of a pair of Swainson's Hawks. Its mate was in a nearby tree. Very often, photos I take from inside the car tend to not come out properly and I get too many blurry shots. Thankfully, some did come out OK. In fact, I have been amazed at how some of my photos came out the last two days, despite the awful weather. Normally, I would have stayed at home on such wet, dreary days. Not sure how I ended up with lots of sharp images, but maybe I need to get out more, even when the weather is not encouraging at all. Thanks so much, Rachel, for a much-enjoyed day and thank you for the (as always) carefuly chosen gifts and cards. Most of all, thank you for spending the day with me!

These are three of the small, white Quails that belong to the Truch family, near Nanton, Alberta. I should have taken photos of their various animals when it was daylight, but instead took this when it was dark outside and a small flashlight was used inside this building. I think I have the correct name for these Quails - Coturnix Quails. Leah showed us a couple of their eggs - she said they are delicious when pickled. They are much larger eggs than I had expected, and quite beautiful with their dark, mottled markings. Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January, sometimes delayed because of really bad weather. The Count that took place four days ago, on 3 January 2016, was part of the 2015 Bird Count. the weather was bright and sunny for us this day. What you can't see was that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a more pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. On the January 2014 trip for the 2013 Count, on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. Also, the only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms. We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars (we saw 5!) and in which some years - but definitely not yesterday! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of these backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group! This year, my small group had 5 people, in two cars. Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's place as we were very nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home. After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite. Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and the small, white Quail seen in this photo. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for next Christmas!

Last night, when choosing three photos to post this morning, I happened to come across this old shot from my archives. It was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 2 May 2011, when a pair of Snowy Owls was in a small enclosure near the Tigers. SInce then, the only Snowies at the Zoo are over in the Aviary. It has been too long to remember for sure, but I think this was most likely the female rather than a juvenile bird. With so many people now going outside the city to look for, and photograph, these amazing birds of prey that have moved south in search of food, I thought this photo might be a good reminder of yet another reason to keep ones distance, lol. Those talons mean business! I sometimes think I must be the only person who isn't out to get photos of these owls in flight! Please don't deliberately flush them - they are already tired and stressed enough. Of course, they sometimes fly simply because they want to, in their search for yet another rodent. Actually, I was lucky enough to see two very, very distant Snowy Owls yesterday, when I went with a group of 7 friends to take part in the first annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count of the season. This is one of my favourite counts, mainly because our small group covers one of my favourite areas, SE of the city.

A group of us had the privilege of being allowed to visit the Calgary Zoo Ranch, just south of the city, two days ago. It is not open to the public, but we have the chance to go once a year. This pair of majestic Elk were just two of several species that were there. Tremendous work is being done there to breed several very endangered species, especially the fascinating Whooping Crane. These birds are kept in enclosures and any interaction with the staff is done using white "Crane costumes". The Whooping Crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. Many thanks to Crane Keeper, Dwight Knapik for showing us around for the afternoon and filling us with interesting information. In 1985, the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC) opened. Known as the "Zoo Ranch," this land south of Calgary is home to the breeding facilities for the endangered Whooping Cranes, Vancouver Island Marmots, Przwalksi wild horses and Zebra. "The only remaining flock of wild Whooping Cranes, the wintering population in coastal Texas, reached a low of 15 birds in the winter of 1941-42, and hovered between the low 20s and mid 30s over the next two decades. Efforts to locate the flock's breeding grounds intensified following World War II. Evidence of breeding was first reported in 1954, when several adults and pre-fledged juveniles were observed in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Northwest Territories, Canada. Researchers were able to locate the first nests the following year. The inaccessibility of the breeding grounds, protection of the wintering grounds, and extensive public education campaigns have contributed to the population's increase to its current level." www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusamer.htm www.bringbackthecranes.org/recovery/recv2009.html#Captive www.whoopingcrane.com/FLOCKSTATUS.HTM