The African Fish Eagle

African Fish Eagle in Flight - Perspective 1
African Fish Eagle In Flight – Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016

The African Fish Eagle was the most common large raptor we saw on our trip to South Africa.  It is a beautiful bird that is a cousin to our American Bald Eagle.  I learned from my friend Kevin that both the African Fish Eagle and the Bald Eagle belong to the family of fish eagles.  They are distinguished from the family of booted or true eagles by their legs.  True eagles have feathers on their lower legs.  I am a novice birder and never realized there were different types of eagles. By the way, our Golden Eagle is a snake eagle; yet another type.

Our most interesting encounter was watching a fish eagle being chased by a Blacksmith Lapwing.  I guess the eagle was too close to a nest.  It was fun watching it fend off numerous attacks.

I hope you enjoy these images of these magnificent birds,

Regards,

Larry

African FIsh Eagle Feeding - Perspective 1
African Fish Eagle Feeding – Perspective 1, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle Feeding - Perspective 2
African Fish Eagle Feeding – Perspective 2, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack - Perspective 1
African Fish Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack – Perspective 1, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack - Perspective 2
African Fish Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack – Perspective 2, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle and Great Egret
African Fish Eagle and Great Egret, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016

Note: These and other images are available for sale on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting me.

 

A Visit to San Diego Zoo Safari Park

With an impending trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa, this year is shaping up to be a year where I concentrate on wildlife.  My love has always been more intimate landscapes, so I truly enjoy the opportunities to shoot wildlife in the context of a landscape.  Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, an 1,800 acre wildlife sanctuary that displays animals in large open enclosures where they can roam and exercise.  Though the animals are the highlight, it is landscaped beautifully and is well worth a visit.  I hope to get back sometime and spend more time photographing both the landscapes and the wildlife.

On this visit, it was overcast and rainy.  Even so, the wildlife was out and active.  I hope you enjoy these images from my visit.

Larger images of these and other wildlife can be seen at my Birds, Wildlife and Insects gallery on my website: http://www.earthwatcher.us.

 

 

 

Wildlife in Carson Valley, NV

Long Eared Owl
Long Eared Owl, Washoe Lake State Park, NV, FEB 2016

This past weekend, a few of my friends and I did a wildlife shoot in Carson Valley, near Minden, NV.  Our guide was John Humphrey, a local wildlife photographer (www.akawolf.com).  He provided us with access to private lands that we would not have had access to ourselves.  It was a beautiful morning and we got plenty of interesting opportunities to shoot.  Hope you enjoy these images.

Great Horned Owl

 

Bald Eagles in Nesting Tree
Bald Eagles and Nest, Minden, MV FEB 2016
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl, Minden, NV FEB 2016
WIld Horse
Part of a Band of Wild Horses, Minden, NV FEB 2016
Great Horned Owl Chasing a Magpie
Great Horned Owl Chasing Magpie, Minden, MV FEB 2016
WIld Horses
Part of a Band of Wild Horses, Minden, NV FEB 2016
WIld Horses
Part of a Band of Wild Horses, Minden, NV FEB 2016
Wild Colt Nursing
Nursing Colt, Part of a Band of Wild Horses, Minden, NV FEB 2016

 

Birds

I am not typically a bird photographer.  When I do shoot birds, I try to take them in the context of their environment, trying to answer the questions: this is who I am and this is how I survive.  Living in the Sacramento, CA area affords me the opportunity to shoot migrating winter birds but, I find I really like to go back to the usual suspects – herons, egrets, Canada geese and mallards, hawks.  Learning about them, observing their behavior gives me a lot of pleasure.

The last week or so, I’ve had the added pleasure of trying out my new Fujinon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 lens and 1.4X Tele-converter.  Its a great lens but its been more than a year since I shot with a long lens so, I made a few depth of field mistakes.  Oh well, I guess I just need to go out and shoot more.

Anyway, here are a few images I shot.  I hope you enjoy them.

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Great Egret
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Canada Goose
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Snowy Egret
Mountain Plover - Winter Plummage
Mountain Plover
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Red Shouldered Hawk
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret