Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: 11 June 2016

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

I don't often get the chance to photograph a Barn Swallow, but I now know where to find them - always far away, unfortunately. This one was perched on the wire yesterday early evening, when I went for a short drive SW of the city. No sign of the Great Gray Owls - but I certainly can't complain, after seeing it/them on three different days within the last 10 or so days. "Glistening cobalt blue above and tawny below, Barn Swallows dart gracefully over fields, barnyards, and open water in search of flying insect prey. Look for the long, deeply forked tail that streams out behind this agile flyer and sets it apart from all other North American swallows. Barn Swallows often cruise low, flying just a few inches above the ground or water. True to their name, they build their cup-shaped mud nests almost exclusively on human-made structures." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/barn_swallow/id