Flying Wildlife

Taking a nap on an overlook in Arkansas' Pinnacle Mountain State Park, I woke up and spotted this turkey vulture circling high above me. I still don't know if it thought I looked dead enough to eat but I was alive enough to take this photo.

Utah has a varied assortment of wildlife and I was fortunate to have been able to spot some. Here are just a few more. As I was resting along the Virgin River I spotted this California Condor.

Rare California Condor, Zion NP Utah

African Vultures on dead elephant, Masai Mara, Kenya

Hummingbird, Arkansas

Bee, Little Rock Arkansas USA

Great Blue Heron, Seattle Washington

Butterfly, Arkansas

One morning I spotted several cranes just outside my living room windows at my house close to Mt. Dora Florida. I grabbed my camera, opened the front door and just sat on the grass and snapped a few images. They didn't seem disturbed and kept searching the grass for breakfast.

Sand-hill Cranes, Florida

White Ibis, Mt. Dora Florida

Cormorant , Mt. Dora Florida

Mourning Dove, Arkansas

Mockingbird, Maumelle, Arkansas

Red-tailed Hawk, Arkansas

This hawk was perched directly outside my office window on a railing on the outside deck. I grabbed my camera that was sitting on my desk and the hawk seemed no worse off as I took numerous images. Below the deck was a pond filled with fish, guess it was just waiting for the right time for lunch.

Canadian Geese, Mt. Nebo, Arkansas

American Bald Eagle, Alaska

Rooster, Pine Bush, New York USA

Green Heron, Sylamore Creek, Arkansas

Baby Robin, Little Rock Arkansas, USA

Turkey Vulture, Arkansas USA

Rose-breasted grosbeak Finch, Arkansas

Angry Blue Bunting, Arkansas

Smiling Blue Dragon Fly, Rice Lake Wisconsin

Early one morning I traveled to a spot near Heber Springs Arkansas where I knew Trumpeter swans spend their winter. Commonly found in Alaska and western Canada it was rare to find them as far south as Arkansas. They are indeed in Arkansas in a bevy of over two dozen at this site alone. I know of one other place near Ponca where there are other Trumpeters in Arkansas.

They are a real treat to be near and listen to their trumpeting. While there, I heard some trumpeting in the distance, the swans in the lake seemed to call back to the distant sounds, and within a few moments, I saw these two coming in for a landing. Seems as if they have their own air traffic control system!

This was a nice adventure that included spotting several duck species also living on this small lake.

Ring-Necked Duck, Arkansas

Bufflehead Duck, Arkansas

White Crowned Sparrow, Arkansas

Brown Thrasher ARKANSAS

Cardinal (Female) ARKANSAS

Butterfly on Orange Azaleas, ARKANSAS

Male Bluebird on the Little Maumelle River, Arkansas

Blue Bunting Take Off, Arkansas

Grey Crowned Crain

KENYA, UGANDA, ZAMBIA & SOUTH AFRICA

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Northern sub-Saharan Africa

ETHIOPIA, KENYA, UGANDA

Great Black Sparrow Hawk

Ol' Kalou Kenya

Silvery-cheeked hornbill near Nyahururu Kenya.

Back to true wildlife again! Got lucky with this one. I was following a baboon and when I looked up saw this beautiful bird sitting in this tree just above me.

Great Blue Turaco National Bird of Uganda

UGANDA

Bald Eagle near Overton Nevada

Horned Owl FLORIDA

Horned Owl Mother watches over her two owlets in the cemetery in Cedar Key Florida

Baby Horned Owl FLORIDA

Baby owls are just a few yards from their nest. These two had been out of their nest just a few days.

These baby owls had just left their nest. They are difficult to see as they are still much smaller than their mother. I had to be patient and listen for their calls to their mother to finally spot them.

Barred Owl, ARKANSAS

I run into this Barred Owl on occasion on the Kingfisher trail in Pinnacle Mt. State Park just minutes from my home.

While COVID had limited my traveling to distant places I have been fortunate to live in an area that provides me many opportunities to photograph many wild creatures. Just a few minutes from my home are several state parks, an old volcanic mountain, and numerous forest and river trails to explore. During the pandemic, I was able to wander and find plenty to photograph.

I was resting on a bench on a high overlook one afternoon and spotted this curious praying mantis looking at me.

Pileated Woodpecker at Pinnacle, Arkansas

Also eyeing me from a perch just above me was this Black Vulture. I can always count on seeing either one of these or Turkey Vultures here during the day.

Black Vulture, Arkansas

American White Pelicans in the Little Maumelle River, Arkansas

There a many flocks of American White Pelicans in the waterways here. They migrate and spend time in Arkansas during the winter months

Another Turkey vulture at Pinnacle State Park Arkansas

Cooper's Hawk Arkansas

I am fortunate that within an hour of my house, I have the chance to see plenty of wildlife. Several large lakes support bald eagle populations. One weekend I decided to try to find some eagles and other raptors that live on Degray Lake. It didn't take me long to spot and capture two, a bald eagle and an osprey.

Bald Eagle diving for lunch! Arkansas

Lake DeGray Arkansas

How lucky was this? I was in the right place at the right time, camera ready, and was able to capture this eagle with its newly caught meal.

I followed it to a tree branch and even though I was on a moving boat was able to focus in and witness the eagle having its lunch of fresh fish!

Lake DeGray Arkansas

These birds are majestic. After I had spotted this one fishing, then eating in a tree it flew to this branch to pose. Most animals don't pose too often and this one did but was unfortunately backlit. With some computer manipulation, I was able to pull out the shadows and was able to get this photo.

Not to be outdone, this juvenile bald eagle was caught early one-morning diving for a duck breakfast. The ducks were lucky this time as you can see by the bubbles in the water below. The ducks dove just before this juvenile reaches for them. In time practice will make perfect for this young eagle!

One bird that is plentiful in Arkansas is the heron. There are numerous species here and I am never surprised to find one feeding along the shallow river bank.

Trying to catch them at a distance feeding has been a challenge and I have been able to capture it several times. I will share a sharper photo as soon as I get one that I really like! I captured this using a 500mm lens from a long distance.