Love those legs

Yesterday afternoon, 22 March 2015, I went on a very enjoyable two and a half hour walk at Carburn Park, with birding friends. The weather was good and the company was perfect.

These magnificent Bald Eagles are usually seen in the trees on the far side of the Bow River or flying overhead, so my photos tend to be very distant. I was just pressing the shutter when this adult unexpectedly took flight. I love seeing them when their legs are extended like this, so, even though this is a very grainy image, I thought I'd still post it.

Until maybe 10 or so 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

I'll add the list of sightings we had, put together by the leaders of the group:

1. Canada Goose-60
2. American Wigeon-1 m.
3. Mallard-55
4. Bufflehead-60
5. Common Goldeneye-60
6. Common Merganser-7
7. Bald Eagle-2
8. Ring-bill Gull-30
9. Calfornia Gull-30
10.Herring Gull-1
11. Rock Pigeon-3
12. Great Horned Owl-2
13. Downy Woodpecker-8
14. Hairy Woodpecker-1
15. Northern Flicker-5
16. Black-billed Magpie-14
17. American Crow-2
18. Common Raven-8
19. Black-capped Chickadee-5
20. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1
21. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
22. American Robin -4
23. House Finch-3
24. House Sparrow-10+
25. Great Blue Heron-flew over, and noticed by Shirley, even though it was little more than a large speck in the sky

After the walk, four of us went for coffee at Tim Hortons - always as enjoyable as the walk itself, if not more so : )