Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: watchful

Mountain Sheep at Lake Minnewanka, near Banff, taken on May 20th. "The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to 30 pounds (14 kg), while the sheep themselves weigh up to 300 pounds (140 kg). Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae. Sheep originally crossed to North America over the Bering land bridge from Siberia: the population in North America peaked in the millions, and the bighorn sheep entered into the mythology of Native Americans. However, by 1900 the population had crashed to several thousand. Conservation efforts (in part by the Boy Scouts) have restored the population. ..... The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is the provincial mammal of Alberta and the state animal of Colorado and as such is incorporated into the symbol for the Colorado Division of Wildlife." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_sheep YouTube link for the latest video of the three beautiful, endangered Amur Tiger cubs at the Calgary Zoo. How they have grown! Posted on YouTube on May 30th 2012. youtu.be/c4fSvtRHLBM

Yes, I have been posting SO many photos of mushrooms recently, that I thought everyone needed a quick break with a bird image instead, LOL. Sorry, Machel : ) This little Burrowing Owl was at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge, southern Alberta. It's a wonderful centre that takes in injured birds of prey and releases the ones that can be released and trains those that are too severely injured to survive back in the wiild. Another long day of botanizing today - was out of the house from 7:30 a.m. till about 6:00 p.m. A handful of us spent the day covering the Fullerton Loop that begins from Allan Bill Pond, off Elbow Falls Trail. All that exercise and sun has me feeling as if I could fall asleep any moment soon. Can't wait to post an amazing mushroom we saw - maybe tomorrow.

Every once in a while, the Red Pandas at the Calgary Zoo will stop for a moment, before continuing with their almost constant motion. "The Red Panda, also called the Firefox, Fire Cat, Lesser Panda, or Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat"), is a mostly herbivorous mammal, specialized as a bamboo feeder. It is slightly larger than a domestic cat (40 - 60 cm long, 3 - 6 kg weight). The Red Panda is endemic to the Himalayas in Bhutan, southern China, Pakistan, India, Laos, Nepal, and Burma. There is an estimated population of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Their population continues to decline due to habitat fragmentation... Red Pandas are classified as Vulnerable. .... In southwest China the Red Panda is hunted for its fur and especially for its highly-valued bushy tail from which hats are produced. In the areas of China where the Red Panda lives, their fur is often used for local cultural ceremonies and in weddings the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. The 'good-luck charm' hats are used by Chinese newlyweds." From Wikipedia.