Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Anatinae

I don't often get the chance to photograph a Northern Shoveler, though there are plenty of them around. Definitely don't usually see a pair of them, standing in the road. Saw these when I went for a short drive SW of the city on 11 June 2016. "Perhaps the most outwardly distinctive of the dabbling ducks, the Northern Shoveler inhabits wetlands across much of North America. Its elongated, spoon-shaped bill has comblike projections along its edges, which filter out food from the water." From AllAboutBirds. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Shoveler www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_shoveler/id

Hopefully, you are looking at this image on a computer screen that is smaller than mine, so that the graininess is less obvious. Came across this colourful Northern Shoveler when I went for a short drive SW of the city two days ago, 20 April 2014.

Yesterday, I spent a wonderful, fun day with my youngest daughter, driving the backroads SE of Calgary. Some of the roads were familiar to me, but others were new territory, which gave us a chance to discover some different abandoned barns. We knew where our destination was going to be, more or less, though it was disappointing that the "heat wave" distortion was just too great to get distant, zoomed photos. Unfortunately, it was quite a hazy day, which really didn't help. Once we got really close, the problem thankfully went away. Our drive was not to see one kind of thing only. Both of us love to photograph anything beautiful or interesting. Naturally, birds were on our wish list, too, and we were lucky to come across several different species, including this handsome male Northern Shoveler that was swimming on one of the sloughs in the area. The very first place I drove to, was to see a Great Horned Owl nest. There were two young ones in it, snuggled up to Mom. They were still really young. Those who know me won't be at all surprised to hear that I couldn't find the nest that I had intended going to, lol! I was so confident driving to where I "knew" it would be, yet there was no sign of it. Next time I go back to that area, I will have to have a longer look. Other birds seen included a beautiful Meadowlark that I was so thrilled to see, a Red-tailed Hawk, and lots of elegant Swans which looked so beautiful in the sunshine with the distant Rocky Mountains in the background. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Shoveler www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_shoveler/id

This photo was taken on 29 April 2013, when I was down in South Glenmore Park, battling a snowstorm with strong winds : ) About two thirds of the Glenmore Reservoir was still frozen, but there were a few birds swimming in the patches of open water, all of them way out on the water. Full zoom and heavy cropping left me with this photo of a male American Wigeon. Quite fancy feathers : ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Wigeon

I don't usually see Blue Winged Teal this close, so it was treat to have this one swim close. They really are quite beautiful ducks. Seen in SW Calgary on 21 May 2011. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-winged_Teal www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue-winged_teal/id

Taken at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, when we were taking part in the annual, provincial May Species Count on May 26th. The males, especially (as is always the case!) are quite handsome dabbling ducks. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-winged_Teal www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-winged_Teal/id