Calgary Zoo 1

One of the Calla Lilies at the Calgary Zoo. A long way from the bird photos that I so love to take, LOL!

Not sure which is worse, this Hibiscus flower photo with no frame (the white edges of the photos are SO blown out) or this black Motivator frame with the word "Hibiscus" too high up. I don't have a simple, plain, black frame to use. I tend to prefer photos with no frames, anyway, but needed to try something to rescue this image.

There are several different kinds of Peony in the Calgary Zoo garden, all beautiful.

One of the Pitcher Plants that are growing in the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo.

Had to smile at the posture of this little Burrowing Owl at the Calgary Zoo a few days ago.

I didn't think that the light was going to be bright enough for photos, so I was pleasantly surprised. I was in a hurry because the Zoo gates were about to close.

It didn't sink in when I took this photo that this is obviously the second juvenile Burrowing Owl in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Their posture always makes me smile! I didn't notice till I got home and looked at my photos that the juveniles have white eyes, not yellow like the adults. This photo was taken through a glass/plastic wall that was dirty and really prevents a good image being taken. These Owls are free to fly around the Conservatory cactus area, so there is nothing between them and you. "Juveniles can give a rattlesnake like buzz when threatened. This fools preadators into thinking that there is something a lot more dangerous than an owlet in the burrow." From www.whozoo.org .

This Barred Owl was sitting in a tree right by the path in the aviary at the Calgary Zoo. I was probably about 8' away from it, with nothing between it and me. A great feeling. We do get these owls in the wild in Alberta, but I haven't yet seen one. A few steps further along the path and I came upon a gorgeous Great Grey Owl sitting on top of a thin, dead tree trunk right out in the open. It proceeded to preen itself, which was quite a sight. Will be posting a photo.

Two of these beautiful flowers were open in the teeny pond inside the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo about a week ago.