Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Ibis

"Bear Warning - Votiers Flats and Shannon Terrace Day Use Areas Effective Date: August 16, 2019 until further notice Where: All trails and area between Votiers Flats and Shannon Terrace Day Use Areas in Fish Creek Provincial Park Why: MULTIPLE bears feeding in the area." www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/kananaskis-country/a... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonight, I was trying to finish off the photos I took on 18 August 2019, at the Saskatoon Farm and Frank Lake. Almost successful, but I still have another 9 images to edit and post when I can. Another bio-blitz is coming up and I know I will have a number of photos to deal with from that day out. After seven or so long, brutal months of winter (coldest on record?) and then endless weeks of rain and cloud, I finally decided, enough is enough. I have become a fair-weather photographer, and we don't get that much fair weather, especially this year. So, on 18 July 2019, despite the weather forecast for a thunderstorm, I decided to drive SE of the city mid-afternoon. My plan had been to go to the Farm first and have a meal, and then continue on to Frank Lake. Seeing the beautiful storm clouds on my drive south, I was torn as to whether to go to Frank Lake first and catch a few photos. Then it occurred to me that I could also get a few sky shots once I had turned off the main highway and on to the country road leading to the Farm. The Farm was pretty busy. So much wonderful colour everywhere that I almost forgot about the weather. That is, until I was eating outside under the open shelter. It was so cold, I had goosebumps, and the wind increased, sending a huge picnic table umbrella flying fast through the air, like an arrow. Just a short bit of rain and all returned to normal. As usual, I wandered around the grounds, shooting flowers, rabbits, landscape, clouds, and old tractors. One barn stood out to me and had me puzzled. I have visited the farm many times before, but I don't remember seeing this particular barn before. It looked so pretty, with its colourful flower border. Eventually, I continued my drive to Frank Lake. The storm clouds stayed with me. One side road has a small wetland on either side of the road and I pulled over to check what birds might be there. I was about to turn off my car when a loud buzzer sounded and a tornado alert was announced - to take shelter and if there was no shelter nearby, to get into a ditch or ravine. Then I heard that the area covered was further SE - in fact, where I had been a week earlier. "Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) confirmed a weak EF0 tornado touched down two kilometres northeast of Crossfield at around 2:15 p.m. Sunday, 14 July 2019, marking the 12th confirmed twister of the season." (This was roughly 50 km north of Calgary.) According to the weather agency, Alberta typically sees an average of 15 tornadoes per year with the peak season starting mid-to-late June and ending early-to-mid August. So far in 2019, there have been 12 confirmed tornadoes in Alberta and three probable ones. There have also been many reports of funnel clouds." From Global News. While i was standing by this wetland a White-faced Ibis flew in. I believe this was the first one I had really seen and photographed this year. Further on, when I was at the blind, there were so many Ruddy Ducks. The Barn Swallow pair flew back and forth to their nest that is just out of sight. I had checked to see if I could spot the Red Knot (bird), but without binoculars, it was pretty much impossible to check the very distant water birds. A very enjoyable afternoon/evening. Mid-evening, the main highway wasn't very busy, and the rain only started when I arrived home and had to get out of the car.

This bird, along with various other species, are free to roam in part of the Tropical building at the Calgary Zoo. While we do not get these birds in the wild, if one is lucky, one can see a White-faced Ibis on various slough locations outside Calgary, such as Frank Lake, SE of the city. Both species have such gorgeous, iridescent feathers. This photo was taken on 6 October 2015. “The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa. This large, glossy, blue-black ibis has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, decurved red bill. It breeds colonially on and amongst rocks and on cliffs, laying two or three eggs which are incubated for 21 days before hatching. It feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents and small birds. The ibises are gregarious long-legged wading birds with long down-curved bills; they form one subfamily of the Threskiornithidae, the other subfamily being the spoonbills. The two Geronticus species differ from other ibises in that they have unfeathered faces and heads, breed on cliffs rather than in trees, and prefer arid habitats to the wetlands used by their relatives.” From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_bald_ibis www.arkive.org/southern-bald-ibis/geronticus-calvus/

This photo was taken on 6 October 2015 at the Calgary Zoo. I always find it difficult to get decent photos in this building - it's so hot and humid, with poor light and a camera lens that steams up. I'm not sure, but I think this was the first time I had seen this kind of Ibis at the Zoo. “Hadada ibises have a wide range across sub-Saharan Africa, south to South Africa. They are Africa's most common and least aquatic ibis. Hadadas live in open grasslands, savannahs and rain forests, especially along wooded streams, marshes and river courses. They are also common around small towns and villages, in pastures and cultivated land and in timbered areas and are occasionally seen in the glades of deep forests. They are carnivores. In the early 1900s, Hadada Ibis underwent a marked decline in South Africa due to hunting during a period of colonial expansion. Since 1910, it has been expanding toward western Africa, probably as a result of reduced human persecution following legal protection; proliferation of imported tree species, providing new sites for resting and nesting in formerly treeless areas; construction of reservoirs; increase in irrigated land; and arrival of cattle in zones recently colonized by mans, as cow dung favors expansion of coprophagous insects, frequent prey of the species. The bird's name comes from its raucous call of "ha-ha-a-a-a-a," usually uttered on the wing. Hadadas typically call around dusk or sunrise, when returning to the roost or leaving it. One bird starts, followed by others. In large roosts, several groups may call simultaneously.” From the Oregon Zoo. www.oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/hadada-ibis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadada_ibis

One of the places where these White-faced Ibis can be seen fairly locally is Frank Lake or, as in this photo, at a slough a short drive from Frank Lake. On 6 July 2015, the weather forecast looked good for that area. However, when I got there, the sky was overcast, the distant Rocky Mountains had completely disappeared, and the light was not good for taking photos, as can be seen in this rather grainy shot. For some reason, all the birds at Frank Lake, including the Ibis, were unusually active, which didn't help! There were three things that I thought I would try and photograph - yellow Canola fields, any kind of bird sitting on a fence post with Canola behind it, and an Eared Grebe with young ones on her back. Managed the first two, but there was just the one Grebe near the blind but too far to really photograph when she had a single baby on her back. I was lucky, though, to find several close White-faced Ibis at a slough NE of Frank Lake, one of which is seen in this photo. Caught this one through my rolled-down car window and just managed to catch the light shining on those gorgeous, iridescent feathers. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

One of the places where these White-faced Ibis can be seen fairly locally is Frank Lake or, as in this photo, at a slough a short drive from Frank Lake. Yesterday, 6 July 2015, the weather forecast looked good for that area. However, when I got there, the sky was overcast, the distant Rocky Mountains had completely disappeared, and the light was not good for taking photos. For some reason, all the birds, including the Ibis, were unusually active, which didn't help! There were three things that I thought I would try and photograph - yellow Canola fields, any kind of bird sitting on a fence post with Canola behind it, and an Eared Grebe with young ones on her back. Managed the first two, but there was just the one Grebe near the blind but too far to really photograph when she had a single baby on her back. I was lucky, though, to find several close White-faced Ibis at a slough NE of Frank Lake, one of which is seen in this photo. Caught this one through my rolled-down car window and just managed to catch the light shining on those gorgeous, iridescent feathers. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

These beautiful White-faced Ibis flew over Frank Lake the day before yesterday. They were just distant, black silhouettes, but I took a very quick shot so that at least I would catch the shape of the curved bills. Fully zoomed and brightened till a bit of their iridescent colour showed. Such a poor quality shot, and normally I wouldn't post a photo that had headless or legless birds included : ) This is the closest in-flight shot I've ever taken of these Ibis - so I'm keeping it. Two days ago, 26 April 2015, I spent the day with a fair-sized group of friends, at Frank Lake. The weather was beautiful and, for once, not windy. Frank Lake and the surrounding area is one of my favourite places to spend a day or half a day. On a trip like this one, there are a lot of the birds that I don't see, as I don't use binoculars. Also, my interest is not to see as many species as possible, but to hopefully come across a few birds close enough to photograph. Fortunately, at the bird blind/hide, a pair of Eared Grebes and a Coot were within camera range. I will add the final list of the 51 species seen, complied by our Leader, Tony Timmons. Probably not of much interest to most people, but it does help my memory. Many thanks, as always, Tony, for a very successful and most enjoyable day! Really appreciate your giving up a precious weekend day to take us out there. "The birds put on a spectacular show for the 19 participants on the Frank Lake trip today. We tallied 51 species. Expected species were present in pretty good numbers; most noteworthy being American Avocet (200+) and White-faced Ibis (120). Thousands of ducks were on the Lake. Thanks to Dan Parliament and Al Borgardt for scoping birds and sharing sightings with the group. Before the start of the trip, Rose Painter spotted two Long-billed Curlew near Blackie. Later in the day, we searched for the birds without success. Eared Grebe 250 Western Grebe 20 Double-crested Cormorant 25 Black-crowned Night Heron 1 White-faced Ibis 120 Canada Goose Swan sp. 12 Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal Green-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser 2 f. Ruddy Duck Northern Harrier 3 Swainson's Hawk 3 Gray Partridge 4 American Coot Killdeer 5 Black-necked Stilt 10 American Avocet 200+ Greater Yellowlegs 5 Lesser Yellowlegs 17 Franklin's Gull 1000 Bonaparte's Gull 10 Ring-billed Gull 5 California Gull 20 Rock Pigeon Great Horned Owl ( 3 ad. + 3 owlets ) Black-billed Magpie American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow 60 Bank Swallow 1 Marsh Wren 4 American Robin European Starling Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark 5 Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird 1 House Sparrow Tony Timmons"

This is a photo that was taken on 12 July 2014. These beautiful birds are now being seen this spring, but I have not seen any yet. One of the places where these birds can be seen is Frank Lake or, as in this photo, at a slough around Frank Lake. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

These birds, along with other species, are free to roam in part of the Tropical building at the Calgary Zoo. While we do not get these birds in the wild, if one is very lucky, one can see a White-faced Ibis on various slough locations outside the city, such as Frank Lake, SE of the city. I've posted a previously posted photo of a wild White-faced Ibis in a comment box below. Both species have such gorgeous, iridescent feathers. The photo above was taken on 3 November 2014. Not sure I’ve ever seen this captive bird perched in a tree (indoors) before. IUCN Status is Vulnerable. “The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa. This large, glossy, blue-black ibis has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, decurved red bill. It breeds colonially on and amongst rocks and on cliffs, laying two or three eggs which are incubated for 21 days before hatching. It feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents and small birds. The ibises are gregarious long-legged wading birds with long down-curved bills; they form one subfamily of the Threskiornithidae, the other subfamily being the spoonbills. The two Geronticus species differ from other ibises in that they have unfeathered faces and heads, breed on cliffs rather than in trees, and prefer arid habitats to the wetlands used by their relatives.” From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_bald_ibis www.arkive.org/southern-bald-ibis/geronticus-calvus/

I don't think I've posted any photos from 28 July 2014, when I drove along some of the dusty, gravel backroads SE of the city. It was another really hot day, so I just had to get out of the house and into the air-conditioning of my vehicle. Once again, I was lucky to come across a lone White-faced Ibis on one of the small sloughs in the area. Quite a distance away, but not too bad using 48x zoom plus a tiny bit of cropping. There were a few other Ibis flying over the area, but too far away to try and photograph. This one was hanging out with a family of American Avocets. I always think that these beautiful birds look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Other birds seen that afternoon/evening included a Barn Swallow, a young Marsh Wren that was enjoying a dust bath, a single young Sora, several Coots including one young one, two or three different species of shore bird (will eventually post photos, but I may not have the IDs), American Avocets, a couple of Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark (looking rather scruffy, so may have been a young one). "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis I'm not sure, but there seemed to be no sign of the beautiful Maximilian's Sunflowers that I love to see each year. This species found its way here, I believe from eastern Canada, and this was the only location where I have seen it. I did notice a couple of large holes in this area, which looked like someone may have dug up the plants. If so, who knows if it was because they wanted the plants in their garden or because this species in a non-native plant here. This is a long weekend here in Canada - Monday, 4 August 2014 is Heritage Day. Have a good, safe holiday, everyone!

These are such spectacular birds, with their beautiful, colourful, iridescent plumage. I always think they look as if they have escaped from the Zoo. Usually when I see them, they are flying high or else down in the mud way off in the distance. Various friends had been lucky enough to get even closer shots than this one, but I was really happy to spot this lone Ibis on a small slough near Frank Lake. Full zoom meant that some of the habitat was included. Two days ago, 12 July 2014, I spent a few hours in the late afternoon till mid-evening, driving just a few of the backroads SE of the city, in the Frank Lake area. I had been there the day before, too, and just couldn't resist a few more hours there. Some of the fields were aglow with vibrant yellow Canola crops, which I look forward to every year. The sun was shining, but it was such a hazy day, I believe from the large forest fires in the next province to our west (British Columbia). My first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis were in the area, but I lucked out later, finding this lone Ibis at a slough. The Barn Swallows are vicious at the moment, dive-bombing anyone who approaches the blind! You not only hear them as they whoosh past your head, you also feel them! Hang on to your camera if you take photos from inside the blind, as they will continue to dive-bomb. It's too bad, as they really don't make it very pleasant for people. Also saw a couple of small birds that I'm not sure of the ID for, along the country backroads. Posted one of them yesterday and will upload a very poor photo of the other sometime soon. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

This Southern Bald Ibis resides at the Calgary Zoo. While we do not get these birds in the wild, if one is very lucky, one can see a White-faced Ibis south of the city.

These birds, along with other species, are free to roam in part of one of the fairly new African buildings at the Calgary Zoo. While we do not get these birds in the wild, if one is very lucky, one can see a White-faced Ibis south of the city. I rather like this photo in Large size : )