The View this Morning from my Porch.

He was staring right at me. After my run in with the hawk it was a little intimidating.

After I got the kids off to school this morning;(one of which required a ride, he overslept), I went out on my back porch to breath as I found myself wanting to doze at the desk. When I stepped out, a huge flock of birds flew straight up in the air scaring the crap out of me, and waking me up. I ran in grabbed the camera to see what I could do. The first picture is some of those birds, they were bouncing from one fenced backyard to the next, like they were playing hopscotch, it was fun to watch. The next shot is a crow observing the smaller birds, and making a lot of noise. The tiny bird there on the fence is one of many that live in the bushes near my bedroom window, the bushes need cut badly, I just can't do it. These little guys wake me up in the mornings with their songs. Next we have our Ring-necked Turtledove we have a pair that lives near, we can always here their calls.

I was so inspired that I climbed in the care, almost like I was possessed, I had to get out to Jasper Park, in Jasper, Oregon. The road had been closed for months, it was my first chance, I just had to go.
The big tree across the river caught my eye. There was something odd about it, You can see in the second picture there was a blob there. I almost went into a panic trying to figure out what it was and get closer, out of the question, I had no boat and I am a lousy swimmer. So I pulled out the camera, knowing it would be to far to get any good shots, but I had to see. I looked through the lens and there he was in all his majesty.  The pictures are very low quality,I apologize, a bridge camera just doesn't have the power. I watched him for hours and kept taking pictures knowing all the while they wouldn't be viable, just had too! Finally he took off, Oh what a sight, he was huge, he flew over the middle of the river, screamed, then flew off. I spent the next hour or so wandering around the park and photographing other interesting things. When I came back he was there again, I was mesmerized.

I don't know why Bald Eagles do this to me, maybe because of there rarity when I was young, they were endangered then. Maybe because until the last few years the only place I saw them was at Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone with my dad. I don't know but they fascinate me....