Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: 21 September 2015

Photographed this beautiful tropical flower in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 21 September 2015. I wasn't sure if it was Brugmansia or the closely related Datura, but several people gave the ID as Datura. After reading the following from Wikipedia, I think this has to be Datura. I photographed one of the fruits from this plant and it did have softly rounded spines on it. All species of Datura are POISONOUS, especially their seeds and flowers. "Datura is a genus of nine species of poisonous vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. They are known as angel's trumpets, sometimes sharing that name with the closely related genus Brugmansia, and commonly known as daturas. They are also sometimes called moonflowers, one of several plant species to be so. Its precise and natural distribution is uncertain, owing to its extensive cultivation and naturalization throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the globe. Its distribution within the Americas and North Africa, however, is most likely restricted to the United States and Mexico in North America, and Tunisia in Africa, where the highest species diversity occurs." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura "Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. Their large, fragrant flowers give them their common name of angel's trumpets, a name sometimes used for the closely related genus Datura. Brugmansia are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous, not erect, flowers, that have no spines on their fruit. Datura species are herbaceous bushes with erect (not pendulous) flowers, and most have spines on their fruit. All seven species are listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN Red List." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brugmansia

This photo was taken in the gardens at the Calgary Zoo on 21 September 2015. The ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house display was coming to an end and the beautiful tropical plants were beginning to fade, so I really wanted to get over there while I could. This Poppy was really on its last legs and I usually don't see Poppies quite at this stage. There was just something about it that I liked. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy It was a good visit and I was happy as can be to finally get a decent photo of the glorious Himalayan Monal (a type of pheasant), and a few Water Lily shots. Today, 25 November 2015, the sun is shining, but it's -12C (windchill -17C). Brrr ..... It snowed a bit last night.

So sweet ..... "Smart, gentle and peaceful" are the words used by the Calgary Zoo below, and I think these three words describe well the animal in this photo. Taken at the Calgary Zoo on 21 September 2015. The IUCN status of Lowland Gorillas is "Critically Endangered". "There’s always something fun going on in the Calgary Zoo’s gorilla exhibit. Smart, gentle and peaceful, our gorillas form part of a close-knit family, called a troop. Kakinga, a giant male silverback gorilla, leads the troop gently, but firmly and the youngsters’ boundless energy always guarantees a show as they play, swing, climb and forage for food. Kakinga is a valuable member of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan not only because of his amiable personality, but also because his genetics have added valuable diversity to the North American population of gorillas. Lowland Gorillas come from lowland tropical forests of Cameroon, Gabon and Congo, Africa. Western lowland gorillas live in dense and remote rainforests, preferring swampy areas with dense, leafy growth. In the wild, populations of western lowland gorillas are under siege, having dropped more than 80 percent in just three generations. These gorillas face exceptionally high levels of hunting, disease and habitat loss. Western lowland gorillas live in groups, called troops, with complex social structures. Troops are led by dominant, older adult males, called silverbacks because of the silver hair that marks the otherwise dark fur on their backs. Troops also include young males, several females and their offspring. Silverbacks are responsible for organizing their troop’s activities – eating, nesting and moving around their home range." From the Calgary Zoo website. Link to a fun video (2:09 mins) from 2011, of one of the Calgary Zoo's Gorillas "break-dancing". This Gorilla and his brother had to be moved to another Zoo, as they did not fit in with Calgary's male silverback. youtu.be/yLHmt3YFuXQ www.calgaryzoo.com/animals/mammals/gorillas

Photographed this beautiful tropical flower in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo, on 21 September 2015. I'm not sure if it is Brugmansia or the closely related Datura, though. After reading the following from Wikipedia, I think this has to be Datura. I photographed one of the fruits from this plant and it did have softly rounded spines on it. All species of Datura are POISONOUS, especially their seeds and flowers. "Datura is a genus of nine species of poisonous vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. They are known as angel's trumpets, sometimes sharing that name with the closely related genus Brugmansia, and commonly known as daturas. They are also sometimes called moonflowers, one of several plant species to be so. Its precise and natural distribution is uncertain, owing to its extensive cultivation and naturalization throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the globe. Its distribution within the Americas and North Africa, however, is most likely restricted to the United States and Mexico in North America, and Tunisia in Africa, where the highest species diversity occurs." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura "Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. Their large, fragrant flowers give them their common name of angel's trumpets, a name sometimes used for the closely related genus Datura. Brugmansia are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous, not erect, flowers, that have no spines on their fruit. Datura species are herbaceous bushes with erect (not pendulous) flowers, and most have spines on their fruit. All seven species are listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN Red List." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brugmansia

I love photographing these birds when I get the chance. They have such a beautiful feather pattern. Like this photo, many of my House Sparrow photos have been taken at the Calgary Zoo. This one was seen at the Zoo on 21 September 2015. The House Sparrow is an introduced species here. Is this bird a young male? "One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Sparrow www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_sparrow/id

This amazing Himalayan Monal takes my breath away each time I see it! It is a fairly recent addition to the Calgary Zoo, along with a female who, of course, is much less colourful. I will add a previously posted photo of the female in a comment box below. In November last year, I had managed to get a couple of shots of the less-colourful female, but the male was more or less in hiding. Then, on 21 September 2015, the male was out in the open, to my delight. What a magnificent bird it is, with its feathers of many colours. “This colourful bird is commonly called the Impeyan after Lady Impey, wife of the British chief justice of Calcutta, who first kept them in captivity on the grounds of their estate in the late 18th century. Lady Impey kept extensive notes about habitat and behaviour which were of great use to biologists in their work on native species. These beautiful birds have a very large range throughout Asia in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. However, in some areas they are threatened due to poaching and other human disturbances to their environment. They are to be found primarily in mountainous regions; in summer, they are found in rocky, grass-covered meadows and winter in coniferous and mixed forests. Their diet includes seeds, tubers, shoots, berries, terrestrial insects and their larvae. They dig extensively with their bill, up to 25 cm deep, creating distinctive dug-over areas in their territory. They forage throughout the day.” From the Calgary Zoo. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayan_monal

A very sad day today, as I learned that local photographer, Brad Russell, passed away a few days ago. He had a close group of great friends (including John Andersen and Brett Abernethy) and they used to go out together with their cameras, day or night. Stunning photography by all. I only met Brad on one occasion, on a photo shoot with my daughter and her group at Heritage Park. Brad left a lasting impression on me - something great about his personality. My condolences to his family and to each of his friends. This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 21 September 2015. I always have a problem with my lens fogging up in this hot, humid room. The ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house display is coming to an end. The beautiful tropical plants are beginning to fade and the number of butterfly species seems to be down. I noticed this beautiful Owl butterfly resting on a tree trunk. "Butterflies in the genus Caligo are commonly called owl butterflies, after their huge eyespots, which resemble owls' eyes. Owl butterflies are found in the rainforests and secondary forests of Mexico, Central, and South America. Owl butterflies are very large, 65–200 mm (2.6–7.9 in), and fly only a few metres at a time, so avian predators have little difficulty in following them to their settling place. However, the butterflies preferentially fly in dusk, when few avian predators are around. The Latin name may possibly refer to their active periods. Caligo means darkness." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl_butterfly The staff and volunteers do such a superb job of putting on a great display of tropical plants and butterflies for us over the summer. I know that I, for one, appreciate this so much - a wonderful chance to see and photograph things I would otherwise never see. Unfortunately, I missed the whole spring and summer, but luckily was able to get over to the Zoo two or three times very recently.

Did you know that today, 29 September 2015, is International Coffee Day? This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 21 September 2015. The ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house display is coming to an end. The beautiful tropical plants are beginning to fade and the number of butterfly species seems to be down. Each time I go to the Zoo, I always hope that at least one of these beautiful Water Lilies will be in bloom. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae Thank you to the Zoo staff who made this room such a delight to visit since spring. Really wish I had been able to get to the Zoo more than just three very recent times this year! Lots of people there on 21 September, now that ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival has begun.

"Just" a little male House Sparrow, but I love photographing these birds when I get the chance. Like this photo, many of my House Sparrow photos have been taken at the Calgary Zoo. They have such a beautiful feather pattern. This one was seen at the Calgary Zoo on 21 September 2015. The House Sparrow is an introduced species here: "One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Sparrow www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_sparrow/id

Happy first day of Fall! This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo two days ago, on 21 September 2015. Though I have seen a number of Golden Eagles in the wild in Alberta, they have always been very, very distant. Seen in the wild is the ideal way, of course, but seeing one close lets you really see the details of these magnificent birds of prey. The bird in this photo is a juvenile, as it still has patches of white on its feathers, and I came across it unexpectedly. The Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles used to be in a huge enclosure and then last (?) year the wire fencing was taken down and I hadn't seen the birds since then. Glad to see that at least this individual is still at our Zoo, and hopefully the others are, too. "The Golden Eagle is one of the largest, fastest, nimblest raptors in North America. Lustrous gold feathers gleam on the back of its head and neck; a powerful beak and talons advertise its hunting prowess. You're most likely to see this eagle in western North America, soaring on steady wings or diving in pursuit of the jackrabbits and other small mammals that are its main prey. Sometimes seen attacking large mammals, or fighting off coyotes or bears in defense of its prey and young, the Golden Eagle has long inspired both reverence and fear." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagle/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle I called in at the ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house first, as this display is coming to an end. The beautiful tropical plants are fading and the number of butterfly species the other day seemed to be down. Still managed to get a few photos, though. Thank you to the Zoo staff who made this room such a delight to visit since spring. Really wish I had been able to get to the Zoo more than just a couple of times this year! There were lots of people there the day before yesterday, now that ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival has begun.

This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo yesterday, 21 September 2015. In November last year, I had managed to get a couple of shots of the less-colourful female, but the male was more or less in hiding. Then two weeks ago, I was able to get a really poor photo of the male. Yesterday, however, the male was out in the open, to my delight. What a magnificent bird it is, with its feathers of many colours. “This colourful bird is commonly called the Impeyan after Lady Impey, wife of the British chief justice of Calcutta, who first kept them in captivity on the grounds of their estate in the late 18th century. Lady Impey kept extensive notes about habitat and behaviour which were of great use to biologists in their work on native species. These beautiful birds have a very large range throughout Asia in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. However, in some areas they are threatened due to poaching and other human disturbances to their environment. They are to be found primarily in mountainous regions; in summer, they are found in rocky, grass-covered meadows and winter in coniferous and mixed forests. Their diet includes seeds, tubers, shoots, berries, terrestrial insects and their larvae. They dig extensively with their bill, up to 25 cm deep, creating distinctive dug-over areas in their territory. They forage throughout the day.” From the Calgary Zoo. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayan_monal

This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo yesterday, 21 September 2015. The ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house display is coming to an end. The beautiful tropical plants are beginning to fade and the number of butterfly species yesterday seemed to be down. These Chrysanthemums (?) formed an upright display, adding a bright burst of colour. Thank you to the Zoo staff who made this room such a delight to visit since spring. Really wish I had been able to get to the Zoo more than just a couple of times this year! Lots of people there yesterday, now that ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival has begun.

This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo yesterday, 21 September 2015. ILLUMINASIA runs Thursday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.. September 17, 2015 - November 1, 2015. My night driving is really bad so I avoid driving once it gets dark, which of course means that I will have to miss seeing the lanterns when they are turned on. www.illuminasiacalgaryzoo.com/#header Will have to add a bit more information later today.