Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Ysplix

One of the highlights of a walk this morning was this tiny Northern Pygmy-owl. It is the size of a popcan and is rare to uncommon year-round in Alberta. It was perched in a tree with a million small branches (of course!), so no uncluttered photos. Three of us witnessed something that I hadn't seen before - twice when a Chickadee was heard nearby, the owl compressed its round, fluffy body and it became long and slender and nowhere near as cute. Facial details also changed completely, as can be seen in my next photo. White eyebrows appeared and even small ear-tufts. We were also very lucky to see an American Three-toed Woodpecker in the same park.

Bought recently from Safeway, these very small Tulips were quite perfect.

Saw this huge Pileated Woodpecker on a very high, horizontal branch in Fish Creek Park on 22nd January. How our weather has changed since then! Sorry, Bob, if you happen to look at this photo. I'm sure you WILL see one of these huge, prehistoric-looking birds for yourself, and hopefully before too long! This image is heavily cropped and you can actually see the long tongue prying for insects.

I love taking photos of the four Hawks that are in one of the two aviaries at the Calgary Zoo. I'm not sure, but this could be a dark phase Swainson's Hawk. Rebecca (Red~star), you WOULD enjoy walking through here - I know Zoos are not ideal places, but at least this is home for these injured birds that would never survive in the wild. A wonderful chance to see the very fine details on these magnificent birds of prey. I love the colour of the eyes.

I need bright, warm colour today - yet another bitterly cold day. These leaves are from the Silver Maple tree growing at Bowness Park. Can't wait for next fall, now that I know that there is a Silver Maple growing in this city.

Not as sharp in places as I would have liked, but better than previous photos I had taken : ). This dainty tropical plant is growing in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

Lots of people photograph these spectacular tropical plants, but the shape and colour fascinate me, so I couldn't resist. Saw this at the Calgary Zoo.

Quickly snapped this gorgeous bloom at my friend's house yesterday. It just seems to fit in with all the beautiful fall colours at the moment.

Please bear with me till fall is over! Won't be long now. Wherever I go, I come across the most glorious colours and just can't resist taking photos! Was at Bowness Park for four hours this afternoon, walking through the forest and then around the lagoon, where the reflections were beautiful. We even got to see a Maple tree in full glory, which I was so delighted about! Calgary is not a Maple city, so it was amazing to actually see a Maple (Silver Maple perhaps?). I brought home a few bright red leaves and was going to scan a couple but, my scanner doesn't want to work for some reason.

This stunning Superb Starling (from Africa) came to check me out in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo this afternoon. They really are beautiful birds and I was happy that this one actually sat still long enough for me to take a few shots. I just love those irridescent turquoise feathers and white eye-ring!

I bought a bunch of five small Sunflowers from Safeway yesterday, three yellow and two orange. I wanted something really bright and representative of fall (autumn) to use for my Happy Thanksgiving "card" that I uploaded yesterday, to wish all my Canadian friends a happy weekend. This is one of the other photos I took - and actually managed to get slightly sharp, unlike the many that came out very blurred! Was it poor light? Was it my camera? Was it ME? I'm beginning to wonder about the latter these days, as I take too many blurred images, LOL! Happy Thanksgiving, Rachel (my youngest daughter, who lives out on the West Coast)! Will be think ing of you.

Came across this rose photo from a few months ago. Thanks to Safeway supermarket, and not my garden! I wish...

Though this image could certainly do with being much sharper, it shows the dying petals of an Aster flower beginning to curl. Eventually, each petal forms a tight coil.