Blog – Page 93 – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

Eagles, Goshawk & Peregrines

Too nice of a day not to get out for a walk. While I did manage a few other photos, the most cooperative subjects this afternoon happened to be birds of prey. Fist up,

… was this Bald Eagle pair enjoying the sunshine. Next was the Northern Goshawk. A few days ago I had it in a good spot, but with bright grey skies behind.

Today the conditions were better, unfortunately it was quite some distance away. Then at the end of day on my way back to the car,

… this Peregrine Falcon pair showed up briefly. Not the best of shots as the only angle on them was through some branches. Still fun to get as this was the first time I have seen a pair together.

Night-Heron & Eagle

It was not a bad day and I did manage a shorter walk later this afternoon. One pleasant surprise was one of the wintering Black-crowned Night-Heron at Reifel.

Usually tucked away in the trees and obscured by branches, this one was roosting relatively out in the open.

Then in the tree tops adjacent to the tower were a couple of Bald Eagles. It is great when they show up here because when shooting from the top of the tower you are at almost the same height as they are. I focused my attention on the mature bird.

For photos I will usually try to capture them when it appears they are looking at something behind me just over my shoulder. I find this a more natural look.

Having said that, it is still fun to get the odd shot when they are looking right at you.

Grosbeak, Goshawk & Merlin

It was a grey and drizzly afternoon, so there were not the usual Sunday crowds at Reifel. The Red Crossbill were apparently still around this morning, but I did not catch up with them today. A Great Horned Owl was along the east dyke trail along with the usual Northern Saw-whet Owls and some Common Redpoll on the inside trails. The Evening Grosbeak were also back.

I had a fleeting moment to try for a couple of shots,

… and only managed these before they moved back into the tree tops. Shooting up into the trees on a day like today is not ideal with the bright grey background. So as luck would have it with these conditions, what showed up in the tree tops across from the tower later on?

The Northern Goshawk that has been around for some time, but I had yet to get any photos of. And as if to add insult to injury,

… a Merlin shows up in the same tree not long after it left. What are the odds of this repeating itself on a sunny afternoon?