Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: AnimalKingdomElite

We saw 19 (?) species of birds on a walk this morning, plus a Deer, a Coyote, and this teeny baby Deer Mouse. It was picked up carefully out of its nest of seed-down from Goldenrod flowers (not MY hand!). The cutest little thing! Sorry, little guy, for the sudden exposure to cool air!! "This rodent has a wide distribution in North America and is found throughout Alberta. This species is the primary rodent host of the hantavirus responsible for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in humans. This virus is believed to have been in North America for some time but has been recognized only recently. HPS is rare but is a serious illness with flu-like symptoms. Anyone who develops these symptoms after handling these animals or cleaning up rodent droppings should contact a doctor immediately." From www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/natural/mammals .

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!

These hawks are very common in Alberta from April to October. This one belongs to the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre in southern Alberta and it was tethered outside on a grassy area.

I spent about an hour or an hour and a half yesterday just watching this family of Ground Squirrels. There was no sign of my Great Horned Owl family in their grove of trees - more roadworks going on just a few feet away from their trees, which may have had some effect. So, my camera turned to these furry little creatures. This one was in the middle of making its tiny screeching sound and I found its expression rather amusing! Actually, I burst out laughing when I saw the photo on my computer!!!

One of the Snowy Owls at the Calgary Zoo - not sure if this is the adult female or one of the young ones from last year. Love those white feathered feet.

My usual little White-breasted Nuthatch (male). Happy Feathery Friday, everyone!

I think this is the adult female Snowy Owl at the Calgary Zoo - i.e. Mom. Her three young ones from last year all look like her now. She was exercising her wings for a moment. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone!

BLUE SKY!! The birds were acting differently this afternoon - those little Chickadees were faster than ever and I ended up with quite a few photos of beautiful blue sky and sharp branches - but no bird. Almost impossible to catch them today. It just felt so good to see blue sky.

Well, it sure felt wonderful to have temperatures that were not in the -20Cs this afternoon. No lens error messages and no dead batteries because of bitter cold. More importantly, no painfully cold fingers. And BLUE sky!

These White-breasted Nuthatches have large claws to help them when they walk down tree trunks head first! Danny, this is one of YOUR Nuthatches. The highest this got in Explore was #201 on 1st February 2007.

A "left-over" Chickadee from the other day. His fine feathers are all puffed out to keep him warm.

For some strange reason, the Chickadees were easier to photograph this afternoon. A female White-tailed Deer and her two young ones were hanging around nearby, feeding amongst the bushes. Happy Feathery Friday, everyone! The highest this photo got in Explore was #29 on 14th January 2007.

Another peaceful little bird. The highest this photo got in Explore was #287 on 14th January 2007.

I was thrilled to bits this afternoon in Weaselhead when a couple of Gray Jays flew down to the bushes near where I was standing. These made my day! The highest this photo got in Explore was #141 on 16th January 2007.

This little Chickadee lives in a grove of spruce trees in one of the local parks. Its neighbours include Ruffed Grouse, Great Horned Owls, Gray Jays and a Pileated Woodpecker to name but a few. The highest this photo got in Explore was #225 on 18th January 2007.

It was almost impossible to get any decent photos of the Common Redpolls this afternoon! They were deep within the bushes and on the snowy ground almost out of sight. Too bad I've got those annoying pink twigs in the background!

This is, I'm pretty sure, a Blue-bellied Roller, seen at the Calgary Zoo. A magnificent bird.

Another Chickadee (or could it be the same one??) from my short walk today, seen against the sunset. This photo got to #115 on 5th January 2007.