Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: solitary

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, 19 March 2017, 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 over 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

Tonight, I am posting six photos taken on our outing to the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad, on 19 March 2017. While these photos bring back great memories for myself, they are probably of little interest to most people. For that reason, I am posting them at night, when probably most people will not be on Flickr. I will post my usual three images tomorrow morning, though they are far from good photos. This outing really was the highlight of our holiday, kept to the last but one day in 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 first 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 over 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

This is "Cemetery Jack", a Jack Rabbit that I often see hopping around the cemetery I had to drive through the day before yesterday. After a volunteer shift (indoors) in the afternoon, the sun was still shining, so I decided to call in at the Reader Rock Garden on the way home. This Jack Rabbit sometimes comes down into the Garden, for a change of scenery. I wasn't sure if anything was growing there yet, but I did find a scattering of Hepatica and Squill in bloom. Many other plants were starting to produce leaves, so maybe spring really will happen after all! Looking at this photo, it's hard to believe that we had something like 10" of snow two or three days earlier! This poor animal, he must be wondering whether to let the brown hairs keep growing or to start growing more white ones, ha. I wonder if wildlife does get confused over our crazy Calgary weather. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_jackrabbit

Usually, when I'm lucky enough to see these small, native wildflowers, they are growing deep in the forest, where the light is awful. I seem to remember that I only found two of these flowers that day at Maclean Pond, Kananaskis (off Elbow Falls Trail, Highway 66), and this one was right on the edge of the forest. I always use a tiny twig or leaf when I want to tilt a flower (unless it's a noxious weed), as oil (?) from the fingers can result in a flower head later being eaten by an animal (?). It is especially important not to touch a rare/less common plant for that reason. This plant, also known as Woodnymph, grows in moist wooded areas, June-July. Each plant has a solitary, fragrant flower that hangs its head. An edible plant, with a high vitamin C content.

We hadn't seen a single Moose on our week's holiday to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Waterton-Glacier until day five, when we were lucky enough to see this female a short way off the Moose-Wilson Road, near a place called Moose : ) The sunlight was extremely harsh, but luckily two or three of my photos came out better than the rest.

We hadn't seen a single Moose on our week's holiday to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Waterton-Glacier until day five (15 September 2012), when we were lucky enough to see this female a short way off the Moose-Wilson Road, near a place called Moose : ) The sunlight was extremely harsh, but luckily two or three of my photos came out OK.

This a very pretty, native wildflower that grows in moist, wooded areas, in flower June-July. The solitary flowers are white, waxy and fragrant, 1-2 cm wide. This plant was growing on private property near Millarville on 20th July.