Fisherville - Short Eared Owls - March 6, 7,2010

Short Eared Owls - what a thrill - first time I have seen them in so many numbers and up close. The first time we saw them there were 7, second time 3 and last time 5
They were in the trees, flying, on the ground, all over the place. Totally amazing.

I am posting the flight shots first and hope to do the up close shots tomorrow.

Bald and Golden Eagles march 7, 2010

Golden Eagle

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Adult Bald Eagle

Beverly taking a walk - 13 year Mature Bald Eagle - not so sure about mature lol

Swainson Hawk - Bird in Flight Course March 7, 2010

The Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), is a large buteo hawk of the Falconiformes, sometimes separated in the Accipitriformes like its relatives. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist. It is colloquially known as Grasshopper Hawk or Locust Hawk. My friend Rob out west has taken some beautiful shots of the Swainson Hawk in the wild.

Barn Owl - Birds in Flight course March 7, 2010

The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae.
While it says it is the most widespread of owls here in Ontario they are almost all gone. They believe there is one pair in all of Ontario - the question is where.

The course I took with Ray Barlow was wonderful. We had many different hawks and owls flying with James from Canadian Raptor Conservancy. In the few hours of shooting I was able to really get a good feel for flight shots. I hope to take another course in the fall.

Sunsets March 8, 2010

The sunsets while away were so beautiful. The farm country just added to the ambiance with the short eared owls calling in the background.

Adult Bald Eagle - Birds of flight course March 7, 2010

The Bald Eagle that was part of the birds of flight course again was wonderful to photograph. Big oh my goodness really big. The birds name is Beverly and has been seen in movies across Canada.

The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle









.

Great Horned Owl - Bird in Flight Course March 8, 2010

The great horned owl was such a character with talking. YOu will see some shots where his mouth is open while flying. This was a beautiful owl and taking photos a dream come true.The Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. The GHO is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.