Refuge Tuesday

 What a difference a couple of days make.  Tundra swans are way back out again, no eagles anywhere (think the weather is getting too warm for them) and lots of Kestrels and Harriers.

I was able to get two "bucket list" photos - one good one of a hovering Kestrel and one of a Pied Bill Grebe swallowing a fish while trying to stay away from all the others. 

What's my best bird photo? The one I take tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Poetry in motion...Northern Harrier on the hunt..

One of the several Kestrels that posed..

Sunlight on mud and water and ice...

A very expressive face on this Female Harrier..

Really?  Whatever......

Here's the Pied Bill Grebe with a mouthful..

And the hovering beauty....

Refuge Sunday

 A sunny day enticed us to visit the wildlife refuge Sunday, along with quite a few others enjoying the day. A fascinating day - just as we entered the refuge a Bald Eagle with a fish in it's claws flew over and landed on a telephone pole. It posed for us for quite a while, then flew over to another pole when I got too close.  Just after that, a large group of Tundra Swans were eating in a large pond close to the road. Finally an opportunity to get some decent photos of swans, and I clicked away contentedly for quite a while.

Red-winged Blackbirds were singing most of the drive, the Harriers were mostly absent, and the Goose Egg Hill Hawk dropped by for a quick posing session.

Enjoy!

First our eagle friend...

Then the Tundra Swans..

This one was in quite a hurry to gt going..witness the mud it threw up as it picked up speed..

The Goose Egg Hill Red-tailed Hawk..getting its mature looks..

Refuge Thursday

 Another cloudy day with a storm on the horizon but it seemed like the ideal time to visit the refuge. Wondering if today would be different than the no-bird Monday visit....and it sure was. Harriers everywhere, including ones that looked a lot like they were juveniles. A couple of Rough-legged hawks, including one doing it's "Kestrel hovering" trick..love to see these larger raptors doing the hover dance. The Goose Egg Hill Red-tailed Hawk made a drop-by but the big event was the adult Bald Eagle posing for us. What a beauty..

Enjoy!

Rough-legged hovering..

Northern Harriers 

These next two Harrier photos I felt like these were juveniles.. 

Felt like I should stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance!!

Let us Prey!!!  :-)

Cute  little powerhouse..

Rough-legged hanging out..

Refuge Monday

 Since the rest of the week looks cloudy Diana, Molly and I visited the refuge today in the sunshine. What difference from Friday! One eagle, one Great Blue Heron, two Harriers and one Rough-legged Hawk.  No Red-tailed anywhere. Wish I knew more about why, all this happens...but for the moment, enjoy the couple of photos that I did get..

Rough-legged overseer...

Female Northern Harrier on the hunt..

Favorite spring bird - Red-winged Blackbird..

Small but tough..American Kestrel

Finally, the only eagle we saw...But what a beauty..

Refuge Friday - Take 2

 I took almost 600 photos Friday, and have only managed to whittle them down to about 200. Partly because I got a lot of good ones..not earthshaking but nice. So slowly working on them.

Here's some of my later ones...

Refuge Friday

 Randy and I visited the refuge Friday, looking for Eagles. We found a number of them, along with Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers and a Merlin.  Plus noisy Red-winged Blackbirds...

Here's the first few shots from the 500+ day..

This Juvenile Bald Eagle took us on a merry trip round and round..

Male Northern Harrier, aka Grey Ghost..

Female Northern Harrier..

Juvenile Bald Eagle with its attendants, the crows..

Adult Bald Eagle..

Merlin, Prairie subspecies - one of the fast Falcons..

The Red-tailed Hawk below - sat up on a rock on Goose Egg Hill - the flew around in circle for us.