Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Flamingo

Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm, and cropped, as this very unexpected (to me) American Flamingo was in the mudflats the far side of the huge lake. I had no idea that such a bird would be found at the Caroni Swamp. Also, the only Flamingoes of any kind that I have seen in the past have been at the Calgary Zoo, so it was a thrill to see one in the wild.. This outing really was the highlight of our holiday, kept to the last but one day on Trinidad. There was just one more outing the following morning, and then we spent that afternoon hanging out at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, photographing some of the birds and packing our bags ready for leaving in the middle of the night to catch our flight home. On this day, we hiked to see the unusual Oilbirds in the morning and then we went to the Caroni Swamp in the afternoon and evening. We were lucky enough to see a Masked Cardinal along the edge of the Caroni Swamp, before going on the boat to see the Scarlet Ibis. At the Swamp, my six friends and I were privileged to be able to watch the arrival of huge flocks of amazing Scarlet Ibis flying in to roost. Will add this YouTube link (not my video) to give an idea of what our boat ride was like - including the large snake (Tree Boa) curled up in a tree above our heads! All the other boats we saw were packed full of people, but we were given a boat to ourselves, which was great. youtu.be/vV9XvW2JSVE 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 dear 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 fast 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 came across 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

Most of the photos I have been taking recently have had green backgrounds, as usually there have been green fields in the distance. I really needed a break from that, so dug into my archives last night for two of the three photos posted this morning. This photo was taken on 6 October 2015, at the Calgary Zoo. This was the last time I visited, as my usual parking lot then closed for the winter. SInce then, road construction and bridge replacement have been going on and will continue into 2017. The drive to the north entrance of the Zoo is definitely out of my driving comfort zone, so I probably won't be seeing the Zoo for a long time yet. "Nestled at the very heart of the Calgary Zoo, these pink beauties might seem dainty, but don’t let their slender bodies and fancy feathers fool you. Flamingos are tough cookies. They can stand on one leg for hours and, in the wild, withstand extreme conditions – including stifling summers and frigid winter temperatures that dip to -30 C. In the wild, Chilean Flamingos live near salt lakes, coastal mudflats and marshes. Their diet consists of algae and small aquatic animals. If flamingos don’t eat pink food, their feathers turn white. At the zoo, special diet supplements keep the birds’ feathers vibrant." From the Calgary Zoo Website. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_flamingo "When not eating or preening, flamingos will sleep, facing the wind, head tucked under their wings, usually standing on one leg, with the other leg tucked up under their feathers. They do this to conserve warmth, whether they're in a warm or cool climate." Read more: Information on Pink Flamingos | eHow.com www.ehow.com/about_5082532_information-pink-flamingos.htm... "Chilean flamingos live in large flocks in the wild and require crowded conditions to stimulate breeding. During breeding season, males and females display a variety of behaviors to attract mates, including head flagging—swiveling their heads from side-to-side in tandem—and wing salutes, where the wings are repeatedly opened and closed. Males and females cooperate in building a pillar-shaped mud nest, and both incubate the egg laid by the female. Upon birth, the chicks have gray plumage; they don't gain adult coloration for two-three years. Both male and female flamingos can produce a nutritious milk-like substance in their crop gland to feed their young. The Chilean flamingo's bill is equipped with comb-like structures that enable it to filter food—mainly algae and plankton—from the water of the coastal mudflats, estuaries, lagoons and salt lakes where it lives." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo

All three photos posted this morning are from my archives. Our forecast is for snow today, so I thought I would post photos with colour. 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. "Nestled at the very heart of the Calgary Zoo, these pink beauties might seem dainty, but don’t let their slender bodies and fancy feathers fool you. Flamingos are tough cookies. They can stand on one leg for hours and, in the wild, withstand extreme conditions – including stifling summers and frigid winter temperatures that dip to -30 C. In the wild, Chilean Flamingos live near salt lakes, coastal mudflats and marshes. Their diet consists of algae and small aquatic animals. If flamingos don’t eat pink food, their feathers turn white. At the zoo, special diet supplements keep the birds’ feathers vibrant." From the Calgary Zoo Website. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_flamingo "When not eating or preening, flamingos will sleep, facing the wind, head tucked under their wings, usually standing on one leg, with the other leg tucked up under their feathers. They do this to conserve warmth, whether they're in a warm or cool climate." Read more: Information on Pink Flamingos | eHow.com www.ehow.com/about_5082532_information-pink-flamingos.htm... "Chilean flamingos live in large flocks in the wild and require crowded conditions to stimulate breeding. During breeding season, males and females display a variety of behaviors to attract mates, including head flagging—swiveling their heads from side-to-side in tandem—and wing salutes, where the wings are repeatedly opened and closed. Males and females cooperate in building a pillar-shaped mud nest, and both incubate the egg laid by the female. Upon birth, the chicks have gray plumage; they don't gain adult coloration for two-three years. Both male and female flamingos can produce a nutritious milk-like substance in their crop gland to feed their young. The Chilean flamingo's bill is equipped with comb-like structures that enable it to filter food—mainly algae and plankton—from the water of the coastal mudflats, estuaries, lagoons and salt lakes where it lives." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo

It's just 2°C (apparently feels like 1°C) this morning, 16 October 2015, and overcast. Supposed to become sunny this afternoon and the temperature should get to a balmy 14°C. Yesterday, two people came and removed all the plants in my tiny back yard and cut a short length of Cotoneaster hedge right down to about 8" in height. They will think about whether they can remove the hedge entirely. Now my yard looks bigger and totally bare - I had no choice but to make it completely maintenance free. It was so overgrown and a complete mess. It was so difficult to find someone who would take on just this one-time job, that in the end I just gave up trying to find someone. Wonderfully, someone knew someone else and so it was done and now I feel like a huge black cloud has been lifted from over my head. 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 have been 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. "Nestled at the very heart of the Calgary Zoo, these pink beauties might seem dainty, but don’t let their slender bodies and fancy feathers fool you. Flamingos are tough cookies. They can stand on one leg for hours and, in the wild, withstand extreme conditions – including stifling summers and frigid winter temperatures that dip to -30 C. In the wild, Chilean Flamingos live near salt lakes, coastal mudflats and marshes. Their diet consists of algae and small aquatic animals. If flamingos don’t eat pink food, their feathers turn white. At the zoo, special diet supplements keep the birds’ feathers vibrant." From the Calgary Zoo Website. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_flamingo "When not eating or preening, flamingos will sleep, facing the wind, head tucked under their wings, usually standing on one leg, with the other leg tucked up under their feathers. They do this to conserve warmth, whether they're in a warm or cool climate." Read more: Information on Pink Flamingos | eHow.com www.ehow.com/about_5082532_information-pink-flamingos.htm... "Chilean flamingos live in large flocks in the wild and require crowded conditions to stimulate breeding. During breeding season, males and females display a variety of behaviors to attract mates, including head flagging—swiveling their heads from side-to-side in tandem—and wing salutes, where the wings are repeatedly opened and closed. Males and females cooperate in building a pillar-shaped mud nest, and both incubate the egg laid by the female. Upon birth, the chicks have gray plumage; they don't gain adult coloration for two-three years. Both male and female flamingos can produce a nutritious milk-like substance in their crop gland to feed their young. The Chilean flamingo's bill is equipped with comb-like structures that enable it to filter food—mainly algae and plankton—from the water of the coastal mudflats, estuaries, lagoons and salt lakes where it lives." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo

Three weeks ago, on 3 November 2014, my youngest daughter and I spent a few hours at the Calgary Zoo. We were both surprised to see that the Flamingos (IUCN Status: Near Threatened) were still outside near their pond. "Nestled at the very heart of the Calgary Zoo, these pink beauties might seem dainty, but don’t let their slender bodies and fancy feathers fool you. Flamingos are tough cookies. They can stand on one leg for hours and, in the wild, withstand extreme conditions – including stifling summers and frigid winter temperatures that dip to -30 C. In the wild, Chilean Flamingos live near salt lakes, coastal mudflats and marshes. Their diet consists of algae and small aquatic animals. If flamingos don’t eat pink food, their feathers turn white. At the zoo, special diet supplements keep the birds’ feathers vibrant." From the Calgary Zoo Website. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_flamingo Wow, only 11 new photos show up (by just after 11:00 am today) on My Contacts' page since last night. Anyone would think that there was a Thanksgiving or a Christmas coming along soon, lol!!

For a complete change from owls and other birds, here is a beautiful Flamingo from the Calgary Zoo, lol. "When not eating or preening, flamingos will sleep, facing the wind, head tucked under their wings, usually standing on one leg, with the other leg tucked up under their feathers. They do this to conserve warmth, whether they're in a warm or cool climate." Read more: Information on Pink Flamingos | eHow.com www.ehow.com/about_5082532_information-pink-flamingos.htm... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo 1:45 p.m. - Hold Your Clicks message.

Love the way Flamingo feathers vary from pale to deep orange/peach. Taken at the Calgary Zoo on June 12th. Have to drive to the far side of the city for a three-hour walk this morning and then I have my volunteer shift this afternoon. So much for getting more sorting out done before they come to replace all my windows very, very soon.

Yay, the Flamingos are in their outside area at the Calgary Zoo now that the weather is warming up. Can never resist taking yet another shot of these birds with their amazing colours.

A rather typical shot of one of the Flamingos at the Calgary Zoo. They have been able to stay in their outdoor pool, thanks to the beautiful fall weather we have been having. Another day and that will be changing, and then the following week it will be changing drastically. I am not ready for winter!!

Sorry - yes, another Flamingo image from the Calgary Zoo!

There are probably far too many photos of Flamingos on the Internet already, but I find the temptation is always there to take a few shots, especially when the sun catches a few of those gorgeous feathers. Taken at the Calgary Zoo this afternoon. The Owl aviary is closed due to mechanical problems, so unfortunately I was unable to go and check on the two Great Gray owlets today : (

As usual, I just HAD to take a few photos of the Flamingos (or Flamingoes) at the Calgary Zoo a couple of days ago. Still haven't played with my monitor after replacing my computer recently, so I'm not sure how vibrantly this will show on anyone else's screen.

This Flamingo looks as if it has been fed a good diet of shrimp. I liked the colour of the reflections in the water.

One of the colourful Flamingos at the Calgary Zoo, taken at the beginning of October. These birds are no longer outside during our cold winter.

This Flamingo looks very "solid" with no feather details, which I don't really like. However, I do like the dripping water droplets.

Not sure how much shrimp these Flamingoes are being fed at the Calgary Zoo, and it looks to me as if most of it is going to the tail (or are they the wing?) feathers, LOL!

I took my new little point-and-shoot to the Calgary Zoo for the afternoon today. I wanted to test it out and compare similar photos taken recently with my old, half-working Canon S3 IS and very old Olympus C750 UZ. I found the Panasonic DMC-FZ18 a delightful camera to use!! It is light-weight, comfy and if I can use it, then anyone could. I kept it on Intelligent Auto to test out the camera and it seems to have worked reasonably well in various light conditions. I did use flash for some of my indoor shots. I wasn't sure what to expect for the colours from this camera, but I think this image shows that colours can be vibrant and accurate.

Sorry, another Flamingo shot from the Calgary Zoo: ). They really are spectacular birds, though, and I love the orange tips of a few of the back feathers.