Tracy Aviary

Yesterday Sean and I visited the Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park and, even though it was a little bit cold, we had a lot of fun!  I hadn't been there for at least twenty years and I was really impressed with the new Visitor's Center.  Both of us enjoyed walking through the gardens to get to the bird cages.  Because it was a bit colder the birds were quite active and they seemed to really like Sean because they would follow him as he walked around.

Pelicans

Golden Eagle

The Macaws were really playful and followed Sean around.

I really liked the Toucans in the South American Pavilion.

Scarlet Ibises

Sean gave me a lesson about the Peacock!  He said that the males are the ones with the dramatic plumage so that they can attract the females (which are quite drab).  He was quite comprehensive in his explanation!

Sandhill Cranes

This was Sean's favorite bird (I can't remember what it was).

My favorite birds were the Chilean Flamingos.  Their wings are a beautiful pink color with black underneath.

This flamingo was asleep with his head in his wings while standing on one leg!

Tracy Aviary is open every day, except Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Because of Covid-19, tickets should be purchased online (go here) and entries are limited to 60 people at any given time (you could be asked to wait before being allowed to enter).  Masks are required and social distancing is encouraged.  There are one-way directional arrows to encourage distancing (Sean yelled at me because I accidentally went the wrong way when I saw the flamingos).  Tickets are $9.95 for adults and $7.95 for children under 12 with various discounts available.  I definitely encourage a visit!

Utah's Hogle Zoo

Yesterday Sean and I went to Hogle Zoo and we had a really great time.  I hadn't been there for a long time and I was really impressed with some of the new enclosures.

I really liked the African Savanna enclosure which is where the giraffes, zebras, and ostriches live.  You can purchase an opportunity to feed the giraffes.

The lions are also found in the African Savanna enclosure.  When we first got there all of the lions were sleeping but eventually some of them got up and walked around which was fun to see.

This cute little monkey just walked over to this rock and sat on it with his arms crossed.  He sat there for quite a while just looking at us.

My favorite enclosure is the Elephant Encounter because elephants are my favorite animals.  This is Christie with her daughter Zuri.  I remember when Zuri was born and she has gotten so big!

I was happy to see the rhinoceros because they are so endangered.

In the Asian Highlands enclosure this tiger was really active and he was fun to watch.

In order to visit Hogle Zoo you must purchase a ticket for a specific time online (although I did see people at the ticket booth) and the number of people allowed inside is limited, which has become the new normal because of Covid-19.  There is a new temporary entrance through the pavilion so people can be socially distant while entering and masks are highly encouraged.  There were some areas which were closed because of Covid-19 but we were able to see a lot.  Go here for more information.  We had the earliest entry time, which was 9:00 am, and we basically had the zoo to ourselves for several hours.  When we left it was starting to get a bit more crowded.