Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: PlatinumPhoto

The other four deer in this group of Mule Deer had already jumped this fence between someone's garden and Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Park. This young one stood and stared at the fence, then suddenly plucked up the courage to leap! It's amazing how deer can jump from a complete standstill to clearing a high obstacle. I guess this is the time of year when their coats are looking very scruffy, changing from winter to summer coats.

I can never resist photographing a brilliant red Anthurium when I see one! This large one was growing at the Calgary Zoo Conservatory. "They grow in the most diverse habitats, mostly in wet tropical mountain forest of Central America and South America, but some in semi-arid environments. Most species occur in Panama, Colombia, Brazil, the Guiana Shield and Ecuador. The flowers are small (about 3 mm) and develop crowded in a spike on a fleshy axis and called a spadix, a characteristic of the arums. The flowers on the spadix are often divided sexually with a sterile band separating male from female flowers. This spadix can take on many forms (club-shaped, tapered, spiraled, and globe-shaped) and colors (white, green, purple, red, pink, or a combination). The spadix is part of an inflorescence. The outer portion of the inflorescence is known as the spathe. Some people like to call the spathe a "flower", however it is simply a modified leaf. The spathe may be a single color (yellow, green, or white) or possibly multicolored including burgundy and red. The spathe is a showy modified bract that can be somewhat leathery in texture." From Wikipedia.

An orange Hibiscus can make a welcome change from the red ones. Love the crinkled texture of these Tropical flowers.

One of the three magnificent Bald Eagles at the Calgary Zoo. Was so lucky that day because this fine bird came right up to me (the other side of the chain link fence!) and stayed there for some strange reason.

I love these Red Powder Puff flowers! The light coming in through the ceiling in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo just caught this bloom nicely. "Native to Bolivia, Red Powder Puff is an evergreen shrub or small tree. It was formerly included in the legume or pea family, but has recently been shifted into the mimosa family. It typically grows 10-15’ tall in its native habitat and is a very popular flowering shrub in central and southern Florida, where it will survive year-round in the ground. Raspberry-like flower buds open to hemispherical red powder puff flower heads (to 3” across) consisting of masses of scarlet stamens. Variations in flower color exist, with some pink and white forms being available. Calliandra comes from the Greek words kallos meaning beauty and andros meaning stamen." From www.mobot.org/GARDENINGHELP/PLANTFINDER .

Hope you all spent a few moments, at very least, thinking about our planet today. We have an amazing world to live in, for the most part, and need to do all we can to keep it that way. I spent this morning on a walk, seeing and photographing a few of the first early spring plants, including Prairie Crocuses, thinking how great it was to be enjoying spring at last. After a volunteer shift this afternoon, I had to drive home in a dreadful snow storm, LOL! The white stuff continues to fall heavily ....

I need this, you need this, we all need this - at least, anyone who lives in Calgary or maybe other parts of Alberta, too, needs a bright splash of colour. This flower makes me think of the sun, which feels really good on this miserable, cold, snowy day. When I went out for a short walk in the park this afternoon, I had to clear about 10" of wet, heavy, packed snow from my vehicle. So, anyone, anywhere, who has been plunged back into the icy grips of winter yet again - this flower is for you : )

A Carnation that I bought about a week before Christmas. There was just one different flower in the small bunch and really that is why I bought them - a lovely white one with red edges.

This photo makes me think of spring rather than summer, but as I took the image in August at the Calgary Zoo, I used "summer" in the title.

A Tulip from Safeway to remind me that it IS still winter and so we should expect the snow that was falling today, LOL. Just needed some bright colour.

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter this weekend. Hope you are fortunate enough to get together with family or friends for a peaceful, enjoyable time.

Taken through dirty glass on a VERY busy day at the Zoo! "The lion (Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. With exceptionally large males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with a critically endangered remnant population in northwest India, having disappeared from North Africa, the Middle East, and western Asia in historic times. Until the late Pleistocene (about 10,000 years ago), the lion was the most widespread large land mammal beside humans. They were found in most of Africa, much of Eurasia from western Europe to India, and the Bering land bridge and, in the Americas, from the Yukon to Peru. Lions live for approximately 10–14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live over 20 years. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. While lions, in general, do not selectively hunt humans, some have been known to become man-eaters and seek human prey. The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of 30 to 50% over the past two decades in its African range; populations are untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. Although the cause of the decline is not well-understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. Lions have been kept in menageries since Roman times and have been a key species sought after and exhibited in zoos the world over since the late eighteenth century. Zoos are cooperating worldwide in breeding programs for the endangered Asiatic subspecies." From Wikipedia.

There were several Downy Woodpeckers, female and male, on our walk this morning. Honestly, I would LOVE to share a few different birds with you, but I'm not getting photos of many species at the moment. Please bear with me.... : )

This magnificent Bald Eagle was behaving a little differently today. Every once in a while when I go to the Zoo, one of the three Bald Eagles is down at ground level taking a bath in the tiny stream. Today, this Eagle came over to where I was standing (the other side of the chain link fence) and just stayed there, until I left. It would have been very easy for it to peck at my camera through the fence, as I was only a few inches to a foot away. (Well, that beak is capable of MUCH more than a peck, LOL!). Always amazing to see one of these birds so close.

Imagine trying to photograph a can of pop that is high up in a tall tree, then you'll get an idea of the challenges that are faced when photographing one of these teeny, rare to uncommon, popcan-sized Northern Pygmy-owls. Lots of cropping needed, to be sure, LOL! They are such beautiful birds.

Another of the gorgeous Orchids that are carefully tended in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. I am always in awe at the beautiful, intricate patterns that can be seen in nature.

These Begonias are growing in the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo.

There were a few of these elegant stems of Antherium (thanks, Suzie!) in the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo recently. Apparently, a lot of Poinsettias have now been planted to replace the dying Tropical plants in this room - looking forward to the usual Tropical flowers in bloom again, though.