I hastily add that this photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo, LOL! Though I am lucky enough to often see Bald Eagles in the wild, they are always at a great distance. This is what one really looks like when close : ) On the rare occasion when I visit, one of the Bald Eagles at the Zoo comes down to bathe in a tiny creek that runs through their outdoor enclosure and very close to the wire fence where I'm standing. Amazing to stand and watch them.
My apologies to my Contacts for just replacing all three of my photos that I posted 7+ hours ago! I almost added a comment to a Help thread just now about photos not showing up in My Contacts, but decided I'd rather try reposting instead. For about a week now, my newly uploaded images can eventually get maybe a couple of comments and a handful of views in hours and hours - very strange and unusual. I HATE replacing any of mine, as it really annoys me when some people do this every day, sometimes more than once, pushing everyone else's images further away from the first page of My Contacts Images. Occasionally, the date on which the image was taken is even changed, when they replace it many hours later. I think if one has had maybe 150 views and 60 or 70 comments on a particular photo, it's very thoughtless and selfish to replace it, obviously to get even more views, comments, etc. If it didn't bury other people's images, that would be something else. However, it does do this. In fact, I have so often missed Contacts' images because I've noticed a particular image in My Contacts' images and not realized it had been replaced and so appeared nearer the beginning again. I mistakenly just assumed not many people had posted new photos. PLEASE do be thoughtful towards your Flickr friends and Contacts. This and certain other practices have begun to really disappoint me in recent times, and taken away a lot of the enjoyment of Flickr : )
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada southern Alberta Calgary Zoo nature ornithology avian bird birds bird of prey Eagle Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus raptor adult head shot close-up side view on ground feathers detail US national bird symbol hooked beak image digital color image square square crop on black Panasonic DMC-FZ28 FZ28 Lumix point-and-shoot P1340940 FZ28 annkelliott beautiful_expression birdshare
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Another photo of the Bald Eagle at the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre in southern Alberta. A Bald Eagle is 31" long and has a wingspan of 80". It takes 4 to 5 years to acquire adult plumage. I have seen many Bald Eagles in the wild, but never this close.
On 23rd July, I spent a wonderful day with a friend who had asked if I'd like to go to the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge, southern Alberta. It was just over a two-hour drive there and the temperature down south was 37C (roughly 98.6F)! They have injured birds there and they use them for educational purposes or to release back into the wild if possible.
This Centre is "Canada’s largest birds of prey facility. Situated on a 70-acre wetland area site, the centre is a celebration of nature featuring the hawks, falcons, eagles and owls of Alberta. Throughout the site and along the pathways, a number of birds of prey are sitting on their perches only feet away from visitors. These birds are all in various stages of training and receive lots of exercise in the daily flying programs. At the centre, they have one of North America's largest captive breeding populations for the endangered Burrowing Owl."
Tags: Alberta Canada Lethbridge Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre nature wildlife birds Eagle Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bird of prey AvianExcellence
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I was lucky today that the two Bald Eagles at the Calgary Zoo were more at eye level than high up in a tree or on their nesting platform. Lucky, too, that they were standing close together.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo nature bird Eagle Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus IMG_4982 annkelliott Bird of prey AnAwesomeShot Best of Animal Planet Admin Fave Animal Planet October 2007
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I had intended posting another Bald Eagle image to the group "For Garnite", in tribute to Flickr friend Jim (Dubois). Then the other day, I read the words written below a beautiful photo posted there by martytdx: " I wish I had a shot of eagles with their heads bowed - THAT would be a more fitting tribute". Hope you don't mind that I kind of used your idea, Marty, and so am reposting this image of mine with words that you put in my head : )
Jim lived in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island off the west coast of Canada. His favourite Bald Eagle was one named Beethoven. Happy, peaceful soaring with the eagles, Jim. Thinking of you, LInda ...
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada southern Alberta Calgary Zoo nature ornithology bird birds eagle Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus bird of prey raptor captive zoo close portrait head bowed side view adult tribute to Jim Dubois horizontal Panasonic DMC-FZ40 DMC-FZ40 FZ40 Lumix point-and-shoot annkelliott We miss you, Jim Strength and peace, Linda
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We were lucky to see 11 majestic Bald Eagles at one time - there may have been others in the area. They had found a dead Canada Goose on the ice along the edge of the Bow River - the far side, of course, ha! - and adult and juvenile Eagles were busily feeding on it. Crows and Magpies were also joining in. Despite the size difference, Crows will pull on the tail feathers of an Eagle, to distract it from feeding. Taken on 31 January 2013 at Carburn Park. A total of 25 bird species was seen, including a male Ring-necked Pheasant and a Killdeer. Until maybe 8 or 9 years ago, when I bought my very first digital camera and eventually got into "birding", I had no idea that we have Bald Eagles in Calgary - lots of people are still very surprised when they learn this. How lucky we are!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_Eagle
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Carburn Park Bow River nature ornithology avian bird birds bird of prey Eagle Bald Eagle
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