Winter Sunset

 Winter sunset tonight at CJ Brown. A couple of ice fishermen braving the cold. 

Eagles Revisited

This image is one of the original nesting pair of Bald Eagles in Clark. I photographed it at sunset on March 31, 2013 off of Yeazell Rd.

Some history....

In 1979, there were only 4 Eagle nests in Ohio. Thanks to the actions of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and conservation groups, eagles have resurged and are now nesting in almost all Ohio counties. By April of last year, there were more than 700 nests statewide....with 5 in Clark County. In the Lake Erie counties, eagles are very common and many of my friends up there consider them a "yard bird."

I still get a thrill every time I see one...if you haven't, I hope you'll have that opportunity soon!

For more information: 

https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/news/bald-eagle-nests-2020

This image was a re-edit of the original 2013 image. Photo imaging software today has come a long was.....I love adding new life and artistry to old images!!

Original:

Merlin

 On a quick drive through Old Reid Park, we spotted a Merlin. These are members of the falcon family and although not rare, they aren't seen frequently. 
We watched him preen for about an hour. 

Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area

 We did a visit to Killdeer Plains on Saturday with hopes of seeing Short Eared Owls. 
In addition to a couple of Short Eareds, we saw at least 15 Northern Harriers, Redtail Hawks, and many others.
A nice surprise was seeing a Northern Shrike which unexpectedly popped out of some roadside brush to take a look at us.