Raptors: Part I

We just got a reservation from a couple that live 30 miles west of Calgary in Alberta. We got to talking and it was a reminder that there are certain places throughout -- well let's just start with North America where certain wild animals are common. Two weeks ago I was talking to someone who lives near Mount Evans, they were wondering why I came all the way from Tucson to photograph Mountain Goats. You see they hike the trails of Mount Evans several times a year and to them Mountain Goats are as common as deer. Of course the reality is that there are 12,000 Mountain Goats in the lower US (none in 45 of the 50 states) and 20 million Deer. But I also remember my first visit to Jasper, Alberta. I was about ten miles from town when I saw a large Bull Elk laying in the grass along the highway. I was so excited, I immediately stopped the car, jumped out and started taking pictures from every angle. Then I got to Jasper and there were Elk walking down the middle of the street and munching on grass in the town square. I remember driving through the small town of Spences Bridge in Central British Columbia to find Bighorn Sheep munching on grass in people's yards. People who live in the Yuma, Arizona area and fish the Colorado River north of the city see burros often. I should add that I see more Bobcats and Javelinas here on our property than I do anywhere else. And Flamingos? I'd probably be excited to see one if I went to Southern Florida, regardless of how "common" they are there. And, I am sure that someone has a fox den in their back yard; and someone else sees badgers running through their corn field in the winter. So, what does this have to do with Raptors. When I first moved here from Seattle 8 years ago, I went over to Columbus Lake (in Tucson) early one morning. There was a lovely old man sitting in his folding chair fishing. Seems he does that every morning. But, this particular morning he was so excited. You see a Bald Eagle had been at the lake. He had never seen a Bald Eagle before. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I came from the Northwest where Bald Eagles seem to grow on trees. So, barring any exciting visitor the next couple of days, I will show you some Raptor photos you haven't seen yet. First up, some Bald Eagles: