Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Status: Least Concern

I'm just not seeing any birds to photograph here in Alberta at the moment. Yesterday and today, winter returned, and it is still snowing (but lightly) and very cold. Today's temperature is -14C (windchill -23C), and a Snowfall Warning is in effect. I still have a day and a half's photos to edit and add to my Trinidad & Tobago albums. Hopefully, I will get them finished this winter. Meanwhile, I thought I would add this photo, which was taken on 14 March 2017, while friends and I were staying for 2-3 days at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. There were several of these birds that flew into the trees by the Blue Waters Inn and walked along the pathway outside our rooms. "The rufous-vented chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) is a member of an ancient group of birds of the Cracidae family, which are related to the Australasian mound builders. It inhabits northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela where it is called guacharaca, and the island of Tobago in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago where it is known as the cocrico and is one of the country's two national birds. Rufous-vented chachalaca is a largely arboreal species found in forest and woodland, but it is also found in more open dry scrubby areas. These are medium-sized birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys, with small heads, long strong legs and a long broad tail. As other chachalacas, the rufous-vented chachalaca is a very noisy species, preferring to execute their vocal feats at dawn. The species is a social bird, often seen in family groups. It is one of the national birds of Trinidad and Tobago and is featured on that country's coat of arms." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous-vented_chachalaca This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous. The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way. I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure. This is a video that I found on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it. youtu.be/BBifhf99f_M I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015. youtu.be/6HHBm9MIxnk

Just adding five extra shots late this evening, when I would guess that a lot of people are not on Flickr - especially with Bad, bad, Panda being a real pain! - and then will add my five photos for tomorrow sometime tomorrow morning. Can't believe I am still only on the first day's worth of photos, taken mainly around the Blue Waters Inn that my friends and I stayed at mid-March 2017. I will be glad when I can add some different birds! Haven't got all that many images from Day 1 left to post, and then I can share photos from a trip we did to the main ridge of Tobago, on Day 2. This was one of the first tropical birds that I saw on our recent trip to Trinidad & Tobago. There were several of them that flew into the trees by the Blue Waters Inn and walked along the pathway outside our rooms. "The rufous-vented chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) is a member of an ancient group of birds of the Cracidae family, which are related to the Australasian mound builders. It inhabits northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela where it is called guacharaca, and the island of Tobago in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago where it is known as the cocrico and is one of the country's two national birds. Rufous-vented chachalaca is a largely arboreal species found in forest and woodland, but it is also found in more open dry scrubby areas. These are medium-sized birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys, with small heads, long strong legs and a long broad tail. As other chachalacas, the rufous-vented chachalaca is a very noisy species, preferring to execute their vocal feats at dawn. The species is a social bird, often seen in family groups. It is one of the national birds of Trinidad and Tobago and is featured on that country's coat of arms." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous-vented_chachalaca Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 5 (I posted 6 the first two days) photos from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. I'm not sure why, though the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity had some effect. For some species, I will be posting awful shots, just for the record. It will take me forever to do much of a write-up about this trip, but I hope to add an extra bit of information about each photo to the very simple, basic description. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary in the evening of 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself somewhat organized and need to see to all sorts of important things. Instead, of course, I have been stuck in front of my computer all day, each day : ) Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together, spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. The Asa Wright Nature Centre on the much larger island of Trinidad is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road took just over an hour each way. I'm already missing the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing.

This was one of the first tropical birds that I saw on our recent trip to Trinidad & Tobago. There were several of them that flew into the trees by the Blue Waters Inn and walked along the pathway outside our rooms. "The rufous-vented chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) is a member of an ancient group of birds of the Cracidae family, which are related to the Australasian mound builders. It inhabits northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela where it is called guacharaca, and the island of Tobago in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago where it is known as the cocrico and is one of the country's two national birds. Rufous-vented chachalaca is a largely arboreal species found in forest and woodland, but it is also found in more open dry scrubby areas. These are medium-sized birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys, with small heads, long strong legs and a long broad tail. As other chachalacas, the rufous-vented chachalaca is a very noisy species, preferring to execute their vocal feats at dawn. The species is a social bird, often seen in family groups. It is one of the national birds of Trinidad and Tobago and is featured on that country's coat of arms." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous-vented_chachalaca Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 6 photos from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Not sure how long I can keep this up, posting 6 a day - takes hours each day, but I will at least start off this way. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. No idea why - the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity also had some effect. For some species, I am going to post awful shots, just for the record. It will take me forever to do any kind of write-up about this trip, but eventually, I hope to get some kind of description written. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary in the evening of 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself unpacked and organized. Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. Yesterday morning, 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together, from 12-21 March 2017, spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, larger island of Trinidad. What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. The Asa Wright Nature Centre is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest that live in the area, high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! And now I am going to take a break from typing and go and make myself some breakfast - already missing the great food that was provided every single day and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I don't drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, everyone! It has been about a year and a half since I last went to the Calgary Zoo. The parking lot that I always parked in has been closed since then, because of road construction and the replacement of a bridge over the Bow River. I don't think it will all be finished till late this year and, by then, 'my" parking lot will close all winter. Hopefully, I'll once again be able to visit sometime in 2018. This photo was taken when I finally got to the Calgary Zoo, on 28 September 2014. I hadn't been since before the Alberta Flood of the Century in June 2013, which devastated the Zoo and made it necessary to close the Zoo for many months. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of a tropical plant in the Tropical building. Each bird looked like it just couldn't stop weaving, as it carefully, but quickly, chose long, narrow strands of leaf and wove the ends of other leaves together in such a meticulous way. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color, whereas brown spots are located on the chest. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver

Our temperature at 8:15 am this morning, 25 October 2015, is -3C! Oh, well, as long as the sun shines today, all will be well : ) This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo, on 29 September 2015. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a little male, as usual, more colourful than the female. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver On 29 September 2015, I had set my alarm clock for 6:30 am so that I could go on a birding walk with friends. Unfortunately, I didn't read the e-mail carefully enough, so hadn't seen that the meeting place was not where I thought. Of course, no one else showed up where I was, so I took myself off to the Calgary Zoo instead. I had planned on going there after the walk, anyway. This may be the last time I go to the Zoo until next spring, as they have closed "my" parking lot at the west entrance till April next year. The north entrance is way out of my driving comfort zone, especially the drive back home. One of my favourite things at the Zoo is the butterfly room, but the season is over till around next April.

This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo on 3 November 2014. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a male, as usual, more colourful than the female. I don’t particularly like feeder shots, but I was surprised at the rather fancy “salad” that was provided for the birds. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our weather took a turn for the worse yesterday evening. After a sunny day, freezing fog developed later evening, just when I had to drive home from part way across the city. It was the annual supper for a group I belong to and it was a very pleasant evening. Always good to catch up with friends. There is a warning that our roads are going to turn into “skating rinks” – never good news. Temperatures will plunge and this afternoon will be -6C with snow all day today and all day tomorrow (Monday). Temperature will be down to -14C on Tuesday, but at least the sun should be shining. I have to drive south of the city today and I’m not looking forward to it. It's -6C as I type at 6:00 am (windchill -12C) and it snowed overnight). I am so not ready for this!!

This photo was taken a couple of days ago, on 3 November 2014, when my daughter and I spent a few hours at The Calgary Zoo. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, the males constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. Will add a previously posted photo of a male in a comment box below. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. The link below is for a short video (1:58 mins in length) from the Brookfield Zoo, showing a Taveta Golden Weaver building its nest. youtu.be/bUd3sfXpz7s

This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo, on 14 October 2014. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a little male, as usual, more colourful than the female. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver The forecast for today changed overnight. Just after noon, it says we are getting freezing fog (maybe that happened very early morning or in a different part of the city?). Temperature is -1°C (windchill -6°C), but this afternoon, it is supposed to soar to a balmy 8°C and mainly sunny. No sign of sun yet, though, just heavily overcast.

This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo, on 6 October 2014. This was only the second time I had been since before the Alberta Flood of the Century in June 2013, which devastated the Zoo and made it necessary to close the Zoo for many months. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a little male, as usual, more colourful than the female. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Not sure what I did in the last two or three days, but the inflammation of the rotator cuffs in my shoulders is back in full force. I can barely lift my right arm even an inch, which makes it impossible to do most things, once again. All I can think of is that I went food shopping and finally bought a pack of bottled water (12 small bottles?), I had avoided doing this for months, because of the weight. I always like to have one pack in the house in case of "emergency". Hard to believe that just this one heavier thing would be enough to end me right back at the beginning with many months of healing, though, but I can't think of anything else that might be the cause. Once the snow arrives, I'm not going to be able to clear the snow off my vehicle, which is one of my biggest concerns. Last winter, I had to stay home and miss so many things for the same reason. Argh!!! Wow, is anyone else finding that there are hardly any new photos from their Contacts today? One of the quietest days in a long time.

This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo, on 6 October 2014. This was only the second time I had been since before the Alberta Flood of the Century in June 2013, which devastated the Zoo and made it necessary to close the Zoo for many months. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of a tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a little female, as usual, less colourful than the male - will post a previously posted photo of a male in a comment box below. "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color, whereas brown spots are located on the chest. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver

This photo was taken when I finally got to the Calgary Zoo, on 28 September 2014. I hadn't been since before the Alberta Flood of the Century in June 2013, which devastated the Zoo and made it necessary to close the Zoo for many months. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of a tropical plant. This bird looked like it just couldn't stop weaving, as it carefully, but quickly, chose long, narrow strands of leaf and wove the ends of other leaves together in such a meticulous way. It was almost as though it just couldn't stop weaving, ha. I wonder if this is how they start a nest, though it looked more like just a flat "platform". "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests. The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color, whereas brown spots are located on the chest. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow. These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver

I swear this handsome guy poses deliberately each time I go to the Calgary Zoo and stop by the Mountain Sheep area : ) Looks almost as if he's slightly smiling, too. Of course, I prefer taking photos of these Mountain Sheep in the wild, but still take a quick shot when I'm at the Zoo, too. "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). 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 - more info on Wikipedia) have restored the population." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_sheep