birds of prey

Hawks

They have been hanging out on the neighbors fence again. I am not entirely sure which species this is. Cooper’s Hawk maybe? They like to sit on the fence and watch the yard for insects. Once spotted they dive bomb off the fence and have the unsuspecting insect as a snack.

dec_hawk — Shot with my Canon 7d Mark II and Tamron 70-300mm Lens

dec_hawk-2 — Not as timid as the other hawks, this one actually let me get very close.

December 13, 2016 2

Myrtle Beach Osprey

I finally managed to get a decent picture of an Osprey. Took traveling to South Carolina for a Marine Corps Birthday ball in Myrtle Beach but hey I will take it. I was just surprised that they were hanging around the area where we stayed. It was heavily populated. I wish I had a longer lens with me.

Osprey in flight. Myrtle Beach South Carolina November 2016.

November 7, 2016 2

Chirpa

Not the most handsome creature but still pretty cool. Chirpa is juvenile Eastern Screech Owl. He was no bigger than 6 inches tall and won’t get any larger. He is still growing in his adult feathers.

chirpa eastern screech owl.jpg

September 29, 2016 0

Nev The One Eyed Hawk

He can still see much better than I can. It was nice to finally get up close and personal with Red Shouldered Hawk after chasing them around my yard for the better part of a year with no real luck. Apparently he had an infection in his right eye that eventually got to the point where removal of it was necessary. Still a magnificent creature.

Nev’s good side. Canon 7d Mark 2 and Tamron 70-300mm. Processed in Lightroom CC

September 29, 2016 0

Archie

On Saturday I had the privilege of participating in a Raptor photo shoot put on by the Cape Fear Raptor Center. The fee for attendance went directly towards funding the center which rehabs raptors from the area and all over the state. Unfortunately there are birds that are unable to return to the wild but life is not over for them. They become ambassadors for the center and are used for educational purposes and on occasion brought out to photo shoots.

The event had three raptors. Archie the Great Horned Owl pictured here, Nev a one eyed Red Shouldered Hawk and a juvenile Eastern Screech Owl whose name I don’t remember. Prepare to be inundated with bird photos!