[Leica] BRD IMG: raptors

[Doug Herr]

Saturday May 2 the California Raptor Center at UC Davis held its spring open house where several of their non-releasable education birds were on hand to the delight of many visitors.

One of the new arrivals is Elana, a 1-year-old White-tailed Kite.  Ordinarily this species is high-strung and doesn't do well around humans, but Elana was found as a nestling after falling out of the nest.  She was dehydrated but otherwise OK (her nest mates didn't fare as well).  She is imprinted on humans so is non-releasable OTOH she's very tolerant of people.  Young White-tailed Kites have brown eyes and some rust-colored body feathers; these feathers will molt to the white adult plumage and the eyes will turn scarlet as the bird matures in another year or so.

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/elanus/wtkite05.html

Jack is an adult Red-tailed Hawk who has many fans among the Raptor Center staff, volunteers and visitors.  He's an active and expressive bird always window-shopping for squirrel or mouse.

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/buteo/rthawk14.html

Read more about Jack:

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/calraptor/meet_our_residents/jack.cfm

Juliet is a Turkey Vulture

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/cathartidae/tuvult05.html

More about Juliet:

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/calraptor/meet_our_residents/juliet.cfm

R8/DMR + 280mm f/4 APO as usual.  All comments are welcome.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com