When I sighted this one it instantly flew off. I slowly followed. After a few more fly offs and follows, it stopped and appeared to size me up. After determining I was a tad too large to eat, it bobbed its head a few times and disappeared into the thick woods.
Cascade Mountains - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
Tags: 2918 Owl Great Gray Raptor Great Gray Owl Bird Wildlife Nature Ornithology Cascade Mountains Jackson County Oregon USA Mark Heatherington
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Rogue Valley - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
"This is probably the most common hawk in North America. If you’ve got sharp eyes you’ll see several individuals on almost any long car ride, anywhere. Red-tailed Hawks soar above open fields, slowly turning circles on their broad, rounded wings..... The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound. At least, that’s what Hollywood directors seem to think. Whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, no matter what species, the shrill cry on the soundtrack is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk..... The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the largest birds you’ll see in North America, yet even the biggest females weigh in at only about 3 pounds. A similar-sized small dog might weigh 10 times that."
- Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
0065
Tags: Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Rogue Valley Jackson County Oregon USA Mark Heatherington hawk raptor bird nature wildlife
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That's how many people in my neck of the woods refer to the Osprey.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Emigrant Lake - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
Habitat : Lakes and Ponds
Food : Fish
Nesting : Tree
Behavior : Aerial Dive
Conservation : Low Concern
"Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons."
- Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
3804
Tags: 3804 Fish Hawk Osprey Pandion haliaetus Raptor Bird Wildlife Nature Emigrant Lake Jackson County Oregon USA Mark Heatherington
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I've been a bird nerd for many years now, but for the life of me Sharp-Shinned vs. Cooper's still makes me foam at the mouth. From this moment onward I'm creating my own species (we seem to be living in an era of personal reality creating anyway). Which do you prefer, Coopshinned or Sharper's? Joking aside, anyone got any tricks to reliably tell them apart??
Brown Acres - Jackson County - Southern Oregon
Tags: 1D3A5521 Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Raptor Hawk Bird of Prey Nature Wildlife Bird Mark Heatherington Photography Oregon Nature Photography Nature Photography Wildlife Photography Bird Photography Oregon Wildlife Photography Jackson County Oregon Brown Acres Rogue Valley Oregon
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One from last spring. These are immature siblings practicing flying. They would take turns flying for about 5 minutes and landing.
Emigrant Lake - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
Habitat : Lakes and Ponds
Food : Fish
Nesting : Tree
Behavior : Aerial Dive
Conservation : Low Concern
"Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." - Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
Tags: Osprey Pandion haliaetus Emirgant Lake Jackson County Oregon USA Mark Heatherington Raptor Bird Nesting Immature
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