Monday, August 29, 2016

July 27 -- zoo -- best panda day ever

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Still in the aviary.  I neglected to capture the id info for this bird.



Baltimore oriole.



Roseate spoonbills, and scarlet ibis.



Flamingo.

It had been a while since they raked up the feathers.  Isn't it interesting how some of the feathers are pure black, but we don't see blank on the stationary birds?  The black must be on the edges of the wings, or something -- folded up when they're not flying?

I think they should bag up the feathers and sell them in the gift stores.  I'd pay a couple of bucks for a flamingo feather!



Love the range of colors.............



Note scary scary person, top center.  No one is napping now!



Pandas!  Very often this is the best you can do, in the way of "seeing pandas."  Awake and active but well over 100 feet away.



The zoo has four pandas.  Mom, Dad, Big Sister, and Baby Brother.

I think this is Mom and Bro.



We totally lucked out on the 27th.  We happened insto the panda building just after the pandas had been let inside for lunch.  Or a snack.  Or something.  We got to see all four of them, awake and eating, from within about 30 feet.  Maybe closer to 20 feet.

This is Big Sister -- Bao Bao -- who is three.



Her treats included a big red apple.








Done with her apple.  Looking for more treats. 



There is helpful signage, letting us know how to tell Mom and Dad apart.  (As always, click on any image to embiggen.)




This is Baby Brother -- Bei Bei -- who turned one year old shortly after we were in Washington.  He has an apple, too.

(I presume the white pipe -- note hole on top -- contains treats that are available if you roll the pipe around.)






It's so hard to see -- but in this next pic he's using his left hind foot to help his front feets hold the apple.



This is Mama.  Mei Xiang is 18.




Daddy Tian Tian is 19.






There are signs all over the zoo reminding people not to tap on the glass.

These signs are on the glass of a research area.  Only people behind this glass, not other sorts of animals.  Volunteers are scrutinizing the views from the pandacams, and recording instances of significant behavior.

The national zoo takes panda study very seriously.  I expect they are contributing to the continued existence of pandas on our planet. 


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