Camera Critters #40

I took these photos of a Bald Eagle when we visited the Moonridge Zoo last month. There was a chain link fence around the eagle enclosure so I tried to shoot in-between the links to get these pictures. I have to admit, it was pretty amazing to be able to view these magnificent birds up close and personal. (You can click on the photos to view a larger image.)

According to baldeagleinfo.com... The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), our national bird, is the only eagle unique to North America. The bald eagle's scientific name signifies a sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. At one time, the word "bald" meant "white," not hairless. Bald eagles are found over most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles. They flourish here in part because of the salmon. Dead or dying fish are an important food source for all bald eagles.
Eagles are a member of the Accipitridae family, which also includes hawks, kites, and old-world vultures.


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Camera Critters #36

My husband and I decided to visit our local zoo a few days ago and I managed to get some shots of a Snowy Owl. Unfortunately almost all of the birds and animals were behind chain link fences so it was difficult to take unobstructed photos of the zoo residents. In this photo I tried to zoom in between the "links" of the fence. (You can click on the photos to view a larger image.)

I found these interesting facts about the Snowy Owl on the All About Birds website..

*Snowy Owl pairs fiercely defend their nests against predators, even wolves.

*An individual Snowy Owl may eat 3-5 lemmings per day, or up to 1,600 per year.

*The Snowy Owl can be found represented in cave paintings in Europe.

My husband was able to get closer to the fence and he managed to take these unobstructed shots of the owl.

From the National Geographic website... The snowy owl is a patient hunter that perches and waits to identify its prey before soaring off in pursuit. Snowy owls have keen eyesight and great hearing, which can help them find prey that is invisible under thick vegetation or snowcover. The owls deftly snatch their quarry with their sharp talons.

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