Monday, February 2, 2009

Just a Great Weekend!

This past weekend turned out to be a great for more than one reason.  First, I was able to join a group of birders to see the most Bald Eagles I had ever seen at one time in Montezuma, IN!  Then, on Sunday, I was able to go birding with my best friend and my 7 year old son which unfortunately doesn't happen as much as I would like.  Many birds made the weekend great but the Bald Eagles and a very nice pose from a Red-shouldered Hawk were definitely the highlights!

Red-shouldered Hawk...Indianapolis, IN.  Thanks to my (up and coming birder) 7 year old son, I was able to get a pretty good picture of this gorgeous hawk.  As I was scanning the lake for waterfowl, my son spotted this bird that was only about 40 ft away just above eye level watching our every move.  

Bald Eagle (Immature)... Montezuma, IN.  I joined the Indiana Audubon Society this past weekend for an "Eagle Watch" in Montezuma, IN near Turkey Run State Park.  Bald Eagles are common in this area and at times can be counted in great numbers as they leave their morning roosts.  I saw approx. 20 Bald Eagles and I believe the total count for the morning was 48!  Most were immature but all were breathtaking!

Bald Eagle (Adult)... Montezuma, IN.  This was one of about 5 adults I seen throughout the morning.  

Carolina Chickadee... Indianapolis, IN.  This bird is often confused with its northern relative the Black-capped Chickadee.  Only recently have I been able to distinguish the difference.  At a distance and in flight I believe the easiest way to tell them apart is by their song.  However, the Carolina Chickadee has a more defined gray break in color under the their black cap from the white that starts at the front of their face.  This picture shows a very defined line between white and gray around the cheek.  A Black-capped would be almost entirely white around the face with little to no gray.

White tailed Deer...Indianapolis, IN.  This deer was sharing the same feeder as the Chickadee above using its tongue to lick out the sunflower seed.

2 comments:

Kim said...

You lucky duck seeing those eagles!!! Such amazing creatures! I love the photos of both eagles. You must have felt such a rush getting the one where the eagle is soaring.

Great red shouldered picture too!

Chad said...

Thanks for the comments! They are gorgeous birds, I had never seen so many until that day! The Hawk picture is the best I have so far so I am proud of it. I use an automatic camera so I take alot of pictures just to get some good ones now and then!

Indiana State Bird

Indiana State Bird
Northern Cardinal