Photo Gallery and Blog 2024

A pair of bald eagles hang out around here so I see them regularly. It takes a lot of patience to wait for them to do something more interesting than just sit there. When one comes in for a landing, you really get to see the size of their wings.

It amazes me how a huge bird like this can come to a complete stop and balance on a tiny little perch, and not bump its partner with its giant wings.

The eagles often spend a long time sitting there on that perch, looking all serious but doing nothing. They preen and poop, stretch, then preen and poop some more. Usually, just when you're not looking, they will suddenly blast off. This time I was ready.

It really is stunning when a formidable bird of prey like this flies right past you.

The eagle caught an unsuspecting ring-billed gull off the nearby pond and brought it to this tree, then plucked off the feathers. It took a long time.

After plucking for a while, the eagle decided to take its meal elsewhere.

The eagle was making a sharp turn and showing off its enormous 6-7 ft wingspan. It's interesting how its head remains level.

This lucky eagle was dining on an unlucky goose on this frozen pond.

I saw this kestrel perched high in a tree near the trail. I expected it to fly off at any second because they are notoriously skittish but it just stayed there. Turns out that was because it had caught a vole and proceeded to eat it.

At this nest in a broken-off tree, Mom owl spends most of the day brooding with her three chicks. In late March, they are still quite small.

Two weeks later, the owlets have grown. Getting a photo of all three requires very much patience.

After another week, they are bold enough to perch on the back edge of the nest tree. Mama owl arrived, then jumped into the nest to feed.

Mama arrived at dusk, carrying tonight's dinner. It's bunny again.

The owlets are getting big and will leave the nest in a few days.

In mid March, Mama owl was hunkered down in her nest all day.

At the end of March, a fuzzy little owlet was visible in the hole.

Dad owl hung out nearby. This evening he caught a vole.

The owlet has grown a lot in two weeks. Mom still spends time in the nest.

Dinner is served after dusk each day. Mom always has a supply of bunny parts stashed away in the nest. Junior doesn't seem interested.

Junior continued to grow, and soon became bold enough to venture out and stand on the top edge of the nest. Mama seems ok with that.

Now Junior stands on the edge of the nest hole to be fed.

Suddenly Junior was gone from the nest. It was sitting on the ground, about 50 feet from the nest tree.

But no worries, it promptly climbed back up in a tree.