Long time no see

It has been ages since I posted a photo of one of the Calgary Zoo's Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens). On May 30th, two babies were born to six-year-old Malikha and it was only very recently that they have emerged from their den. She has raised them completely on her own, with no "interference" from Zoo staff. Not sure if this adult is Malikha or her mate. There was no sign of the two little ones - I would imagine they spend a fair amount of time sleeping in the den. The conservation status of the Red Panda is "Vulnerable" and the Calgary Zoo is doing a good job helping to preserve this species. This new duo brings to 11 the number of successful Red Panda births at the zoo since 1994. These animals are on the move constantly, so it's always amazing when one of them stops for a brief second or two, and you get the chance for a shot.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Panda

I was out for about three hours this morning on a bird walk from Bebo Grove to Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, and back. We were shown a juvenile American Three-toed Woodpecker at Bebo by a couple of friends who were out on a walk, which was a real treat. I had seen a Three-toed there before, but not yet this year. We were also greeted by a few Boreal Chickadees, which we always enjoy. From there, I drove out to Brown-Lowery Provincial Park just in case a few mushrooms had appeared, even though I already knew the answer : ) Did find a little cluster and one solitary one - and that's it! And from there, it was off to fill my car with gas before it actually reached the empty mark (usually, I make sure it doesn't go below half full) and the usual necessary food shopping.