Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: open wings

There is just something about Owls and the way they capture your heart : ) You want to encourage them and protect them at the same time. A few of us were treated to this beautiful sight, and more, when both Great Horned Owlets flapped, clawed and climbed their way to the top edge of their nesting cavity. As if that wasn't enough, we even watched as Mom flew to where they were and fed them a Northern Flicker for supper - oops, looks like it was maybe a Blue-winged Teal after all. We had kind of wished that it was a Starling instead, but everything has to eat : ) Took lots of photos, so hope you don't get bored to death. I do try and space them out to give you a break from owls, owls and more owls. The light was not good and unfortunately, my camera doesn't sem to like being pointed up towards the sky, but I am just thankful for any photo that comes out sufficently well. On top of seeing the owls, it was so good to bump into a few friends, too : )

There were only a handful of tropical butterflies at the Calgary Zoo on 9 April 2013, when this photo of one of the large Blue Morphos was taken. Even fewer when I was there again on 16 April 2013. It's early in the butterfly "season", but eventually their numbers will increase and the tropical plants will get much larger, and it will once again be a tropical paradise! The staff and volunteers put in so much work and effort to create this amazing place for us to enjoy. Actually, I've just realized that this butterfly is different from my previously posted Blue Morpho images, so it must be a different Morpho species. "A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 29 accepted species and 147 accepted subspecies of butterflies in the genus Morpho." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpho

Not the most photogenic background (i.e. the floor of the ENMAX Conservatory), but that's where this beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly was resting on 9 April 2013. On my last visit to the Calgary Zoo a week later, on 16 April, there were still very few butterflies to be seen, but over the next weeks and months till around September/October, numbers will increase and the tropical plants will grow much larger, and it will once again be a hot, humid, tropical paradise : ) Most of these Blue Morphos at the Calgary Zoo are seen at rest, with wings tightly closed. No matter how many times I see one, I still find the gorgeous blue iridescence of the wings breathtaking. "The Peleides Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) is an iridescent tropical butterfly found in Mexico, Central America, northern South America,Paraguay and Trinidad. The Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides) drinks the juices from rotting fruits for food. Its favourites are mango, kiwi, and lychee. Blue Morpho butterflies live in the rainforests of South America, and can be found in Mexico and Central America.The wingspan of the Blue Morpho butterfly ranges from 7.5 cm to 20 cm.The entire Blue Morpho Butterfly lifecycle, from egg to adult is only 115 days. The larvae of Blue Morpho Butterflies are cannibals. The caterpillar Blue Morpho Butterfly is red-brown with patches of bright green. The brilliant blue color in the butterfly's wings is caused by the diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings. It uses this to frighten away predators, by flashing its wings rapidly. The Blue Morpho Butterflies stick together in groups to deter their predators, a form of Mobbing behavior." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpho

Needed a dash of bright colour on this grey, foggy morning! This Banded Orange butterfly was photographed in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo back in May. The butterfly display has come to an end until next spring - always sad to see them finish.

Just grabbed this image quickly from my files, as my uploads need a shot of vibrant colour recently. When I called in at the Zoo yesterday, I was so disappointed to see that some of the plants in the butterfly room were dying and there were not many butterflies : ( Gotta dash - I have my volunteer shift this afternoon, and I am running so late.

Not the kind of photo I would love to have got of this beautiful Old World Swallowtail, but I was lucky to get even this, LOL! We saw it fluttering by while we were on a botanizing hike south of Calgary, in the Nanton area. It landed for a second or two and I was able to quickly grab a couple of shots for ID purposes. I so rarely see these.

This huge Atlas Moth had chosen to land and stay put on this tangled mass of "hairs", which didn't make for a good photo. However, thought I'd post it in case I don't happen to visit the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo when there is another of these beauties on display. "Atlas moths are considered to be the largest moths in the world in terms of total wing surface area (upwards of c. 400 square cm or 65 square inches). Their wingspans are also amongst the largest, from 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). Females are appreciably larger and heavier .... The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is a large saturniid moth found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, and common across the Malay archipelago" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacus_atlas

One of the beautiful, larger butterflies on dispay in the Enmax Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo a couple of days ago. Sorry I'm posting so many Zoo images at the moment. I know some of you are not too interested in nature that's not wild, but I'm just not getting many photos of wild things at the moment. Spent the morning walking in the woods at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park, looking at Lichens with friends - no idea how I will ever learn the names and be able to ID them, LOL. I must admit I prefer fungi, but those won't be growing for ages yet! The rest of the day has been rainy and snowy - and cold! "Siproeta epaphus is a New World butterfly that lives all year in tropical habitats. It has large wings, averaging 10 cm/3.9 in, that are black on the center and brown on the undersides. S. epaphus is found throughout Central America, where it is one of the most common butterfly species. Its distribution extends from southern North America to northern South America." From Wikipedia.

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to have one of these very large butterflies actually land with wings spread, against a pale green backdrop. Most of these Blue Morphos at the Calgary Zoo are seen at rest, with wings tightly closed. No matter how many times I see one, I still find the gorgeous blue iridescence of the wings breathtaking. "The Peleides Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) is an iridescent tropical butterfly found in Mexico, Central America, northern South America,Paraguay and Trinidad. The Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides) drinks the juices from rotting fruits for food. Its favourites are mango, kiwi, and lychee. Blue Morpho butterflies live in the rainforests of South America, and can be found in Mexico and Central America.The wingspan of the Blue Morpho butterfly ranges from 7.5 cm to 20 cm.The entire Blue Morpho Butterfly lifecycle, from egg to adult is only 115 days. The larvae of Blue Morpho Butterflies are cannibals. The caterpillar Blue Morpho Butterfly is red-brown with patches of bright green. The brilliant blue color in the butterfly's wings is caused by the diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings. It uses this to frighten away predators, by flashing its wings rapidly. The Blue Morpho Butterflies stick together in groups to deter their predators, a form of Mobbing behavior." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpho

One needs a lot of patience to capture some of the amazing butterflies in the Calgary Zoo's Enmax Conservatory. They either land on a far from photogenic window ledge or land and immedicately close their wings. Sometimes, one is lucky enough for spread wings AND a vividly coloured plant : ) Haven't ID'd this one yet. We are back to winter again - more rain and snow and strong winds today and a miserable next few days' forecast, too. MUST work on my Taxes this evening!!! I seem to have said that before, LOL.

Not really the best shot of these two butterflies, but this is the first photo I've taken with two butterflies on a leaf : ) "The Banded Orange Heliconian (Dryadula phaetusa) is the sole representative of its genus, the Banded Orange Heliconian is native from Brazil to central Mexico, and in summer it can be found rarely as far north as central Kansas. Its wingspan ranges from 86 to 89 mm, and it is colored a bright orange with thick black stripes in males, and a duller orange with fuzzier black stripes in females ....It feeds primarily on the nectar of flowers and bird droppings, and its caterpillar feeds on passion vines including Passiflora tetrastylis. It is generally found in lowland tropical fields and valleys." From Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryadula_phaetusa . For local Calgary Flickr members, I don't know if you have already heard that the very strong winds we have been having the last few days has completely destroyed the Bald Eagle nest down in Fish Creek Park (near the intersection of Canyon Meadows Drive and Acadia Drive. Apparently, someone discovered an eaglet on the ground, dead, which is so very sad. I haven't heard whether the other two (?) Eagle nests within the city have survived. I do hope all the little owlets have managed to stay safe.

Haven't identified this butterfly yet, seen in the Garden Gallery at the Calgary Zoo (Enmax Conservatory). I liked the startling black and white against the pale green leaves. A bit later: thanks to Art (LeapFrog!) for the ID, Common Sergeant Butterfly (Athyma Perius). Much appreciated. "Distribution: throughout the Himalayas; the hills of Central, Eastern and Western India : Southern India.; Burma; Tenasserim; extending to Siam and the Malay Peninsula." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athyma_perius The snow has gone, the rain has gone, the very strong winds have gone - and (yes, Joyce), the SUN is shining!! More snow in the forecast for next week, though, unless it changes.

Can you imagine a brighter display of flowers than this - and to have a beautiful butterfly (with wings spread!) at rest on them? Can't remember the name of this butterfly off hand, but I love the zigzag wing edges. Needed something bright on this unpleasant, snowy day - and yes, this IS May, LOL! Seen in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. I think the ID is Cethosia biblis, Red Lacewing. Anyone else having a few problems with Flickr today? Seems very quiet - and I keep getting empty boxes with red Xs with some photostreams. If I go back and access the page again, all seems fine.

I'm still posting butterfly images taken in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo : ) Butterflies are only there for part of the year, so I want to make the most of the chance to see and photograph these beauties. This is a female. Weather has been so bad for a while and I need sunlight to pour in through all the glass windows, so I haven't been over for another visit yet. "The Common Mormon Papilio polytes is a common species of swallowtail butterfly widely distributed across Asia. This butterfly is known for the mimicry displayed by the numerous forms of its females which mimic inedible Red-bodied Swallowtails, such as the Common Rose and the Crimson Rose .... The male has one morph only. It is a dark-coloured swallow-tailed butterfly. The upper forewing has a series of white spots decreasing in size towards the apex. The upper hindwing has a complete discal band of elongated white spots. It may or may not have marginal red crescents. The males are smaller in size than the females. The female of the Common Mormon is polymorphic. In South Asia, it has three forms or morphs." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Mormon

This gorgeous Mourning Cloak butterfly landed in the parking lot at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park yesterday. Gravel is never the ideal background, but I was just thankful that the butterfly landed at all, LOL!