Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Circus cyaneus

We were privileged this afternoon to come across this Northern Harrier's nest and eggs. It was built on a grassy hillside in a natural area south of the city. I have an 18x zoom, so was able to get a couple of very quick shots without going any nearer to the nest. Hopefully, all three eggs will hatch successfully and three more beautiful raptors will be able to grace our skies! The temperature was somewhere around a warm 22C, so there was no fear of the eggs not keeping warm while Mom was cruising the skyways nearby: )

I spent a wonderful day on Monday with a friend who had asked if I'd like to go to the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge, southern Alberta. It was just over a two-hour drive there and the temperature down south was 37C (roughly 106F)! This Centre is "Canada’s largest birds of prey facility. Situated on a 70-acre wetland area site, the centre is a celebration of nature featuring the hawks, falcons, eagles and owls of Alberta. Throughout the site and along the pathways, a number of birds of prey are sitting on their perches only feet away from visitors. These birds are all in various stages of training and receive lots of exercise in the daily flying programs. At the centre, they have one of North America's largest captive breeding populations for the endangered Burrowing Owl." The Northern Harrier is one of the strangest looking hawks I've seen, especially when its head is turned sideways. In the wild, it is easy to identify because it flies so close to the ground and also it flashes a white rump. This bird used to be called the Marsh Hawk in North America.

Another view of a Northern Harrier, a strange looking Hawk (its face is rather owl-like). Several of the Birds of Prey were housed in small aviaries, so one had to try and manoeuvre ones camera lens through the wire netting. All the other birds were tethered in the open area. I spent a wonderful day on Monday with a friend who had asked if I'd like to go to the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre, near Lethbridge, southern Alberta. It was just over a two-hour drive there and the temperature down south was 37C (98.6F)! This Centre is "Canada’s largest birds of prey facility. Situated on a 70-acre wetland area site, the centre is a celebration of nature featuring the hawks, falcons, eagles and owls of Alberta. Throughout the site and along the pathways, a number of birds of prey are sitting on their perches only feet away from visitors. These birds are all in various stages of training and receive lots of exercise in the daily flying programs. At the centre, they have one of North America's largest captive breeding populations for the endangered Burrowing Owl."