Juvenile Bald Eagle
Did you know, Bald Eagle do not have white head and tail feathers until they reach breeding maturity?
Barred Owl
Lower Valley Road, Beaver Valley #barredowl this beautiful bird caught my eye while I was driving to work. It was hunting in the ditch, I slowed down for a few window photos and continued on, he didn’t even give me a glance, he was all about breakfast.
Snowy Owls in April
It seems a little odd to be seeing them in April … soon they will be on their way north.
Project Snow Storm has trackers on many owls, it’s interesting to visit the web sight and see where they travel to, you might be surprised.
Snowy Owl, afternoon sun
I don’t think there is much more pleasant than a nap in the morning sun after a long cold winter.
Rough-legged Hawk
This could have been so many birds.. an immature Bald Eagle, an immature Golden Eagle … but nope it’s an immature Rough-legged Hawk.
Queen for a kilometre
On a beautiful winter day, if you look carefully enough, you might see these majestic owls about 1 km apart. Stoically guarding their hunting territory.
Red Tailed Hawk
On my way to work… he was just sitting here like he does each morning on his tree… except this time he allowed me to pause for a photo… it only took a few years.
Osprey nest with chicks
The Osprey nest at Lake Eugenia has eggs hatch each summer, however they usually are attacked before fledging by a Great Horned Owl. I was surprised to see that they have survived this year and managed to fledge. Success finally!
One last snow squall… snowy owl landing on a post
The Snowy Owl migration is well under way, there are a few stragglers left, they have been heading up the Bruce Peninsula to their summer nesting grounds way, way up north. Enjoy this sequence of one landing on a farm fence post.
Snowy Owl
It’s owl season and there are lots of them, watch the top of posts when your driving past flat pastures!
Rough-legged Hawk
So hard to see in the fall leaves. I missed this one and only saw it when it moved to another perch a little further from me. If it didn’t move, I would have passed right by it. The name refers to it’s feathered legs right to it’s toes, the only others that also have feathered legs are the Golden Eagle and Ferruginous Hawk.
Hello… who is there? Red-shouldered Hawk
This raptors breeding grounds are as far north as Ontario, some migrating south to Mexico for the winters. It’s a stout hawk compared to the Red-tailed.
Northern Harrier Hawk Juvenile
We were so excited to see this different looking raptor, usually the adults we see are grey. The white band above the tail is the telling sign that this is a juvenile Northern Harrier Hawk hunting the hay fields. They are known for the way they hover in place while they watch or look for rodents.
Osprey at nest site near Guelph
Seems a little late in the year however maybe it is a second brood or they could be young Osprey returning to the nest just because there is no place like home. These two were busy building or repairing a nest as the gathered nearby branches and stuff just east of Guelph on my way home from the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, a nice break in the drive for a few minutes. I included a photo of the leg band, if you know someone involved with studying the Ontario Osprey, please share it with them, I did do an entry on the banding page however it came back that they are too busy to look into most notifications regarding bands, oh well. 
This leg band appears to be from a study as it is not common for Osprey to be banded.
Red-shouldered Hawk
I was out in a canoe photographing a Beaver, when this beautiful hawk darted across the sky and into the forest, just west of Algonquin Park. I.D. by M. Wiercinski
Bald Eagle coming in for a landing
Snowy Owl sunset
Snow Owl hunting
Bald Eagle Chicks
I haven’t seen much of the Bald Eagles in the valley this summer, so I had thought they had left. I was so happy to go canoeing with my son and find that they are indeed back and raining two chicks again this year. This makes it three years in a row that they have anger to raise two, usually one eats the other if there isn’t enough food …
Osprey “bringing home the dinner”
