Thursday, August 24, 2006

Return of the Red-Shouldered Hawks - 8/24/2006

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So, I used to spot a Red-Shouldered Hawk Family (2 adults, and 1 Juv I think) near my work in Maryland. About 4 months ago they vanished. Around that time I switched buildings where i worked so at first I wasn't sure if I stopped seeing them because of that or not. But, I only moved a 1,000 yards, and their nest was nearer to my new location, I think... Well, about 4 months passed without seeing them until today!

The above is one bird, the first one I saw. I ran to my car, got my camera and snapped off a few as this one was gaining altitude. Later I saw as many as 3 or 4 possibly. And still later I distinctly heard a RSH call.

They must have migrated or moved, and just came back, possibly TODAY. I'm outside enough that I'd have seen or heard them if they were already back. At one point today I may have seen 4 of them. But at a distance it isn't easy to for me to tell them apart from the other birds in the area.

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Lately I'd not post images of this quality, because I know I can take better ones, but the occasion of them returning I think TODAY requires me to document the day...

Here are a few of my previous photos of the family, err, at least the family I previously used to spot outside my work...

Red-Shouldered Hawk in Maryland
Red-Shouldered Hawk (3 shot merge)
Hawktacular!

Daffys Bath!


Daffys Bath!
Originally uploaded by bluemist57.
This just cracks me up!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Soyono takes a break from her cubs! - Washington DC / National Zoo 7/30/2006

Soyono takes a break from her cubs!

Soyono (Soy) - Sumatran Tiger @ Washington DC / National Zoo 7/30/2006

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Soy walking down the steps towards the door and the location closest to the cubs that are inside. Here she shows her intense urge to be near them, in her eyes and her stride.

She walked to the bottom of the steps a few times and called out to the cubs. After a few minutes she would walk through the outdoor exhibit for a while, only to return here.

She wasn't stuck on calling out to them, she had a bunch of moments when she surely was enjoying her time away from the cubs... But she also seemed at times to want nothing more than to be inside with them again. She was outside (and away from the cubs) for about an hour on Sunday 7/30/2006.

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Thanks for all the visits! (100,000 Views)

Thanks for all the visits!

BTW, I hit 50,000 on April 24th, 2006.

Here are a few of the tags that I've got some "interesting" photos for:
Zoo, Washington DC, D70, D70s, National Zoo, D200, Maryland, Osprey, Hawk, Animals, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D VR.

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