Environment:
Start Time: 8:15 AM Temperature: 42 degrees Sky: Mostly sunny with increasing breeze.
Another warmish morning and the threat of high winds for the afternoon brought me out to the trail early. Walking conditions started out nicely but deteriorated as my outing progressed. The wind started to pick up around what is normally my half-way point and it convinced me to cut things short. Not to worry – I had some pretty good stuff captured. Today’s featured image is one of the two adult Cooper’s Hawks I caught still working on their nest. Pictured here is an American Kestrel couple (I think that is dad on the higher perch) hanging out near their nest. To top things off in the raptor category I found a Great Horned Owl (below) sleeping near the Cooper’s Hawk nest.
Sightings:
Birds: Common Goldeneye, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Hooded Mergansers, Gulls, Starlings, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owl, Ospreys, Sparrows, Cooper’s Hawks, Blue Jay, Mourning Doves, American Kestrels, Double Crested Cormorant, Canada Geese, American Robin
Critters: Mule Deer, Tree Squirrels, Prairie Dogs
Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm
