Osprey

When thoughts turn to majestic birds, the Osprey usually doesn’t come to mind. Almost as large as a Bald Eagle, it is a striking bird, especially when flying with its coloring. Dark on top with a white body and wings on the bottom that taper from white to dark wingtips and a head that is primarily white with bold black strips. It is a fish raptor and lives and nests near bodies of water including lakes at high elevations, and the northern and central pacific coast. This picture was taken at at about 8000 ft in the Sierra Nevada. Enjoy your day!!!!!!

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Almost exactly one year ago (mid-February) I posted another photo of a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk, that I misidentified as a Coopers Hawk. The juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk has narrower legs and a shorter neck. Again this year I was surprised to find one sitting on my fence. This was taken through my kitchen window, thankfully I had cleaned it a couple of weeks ago.

Vor fast genau einem Jahr (Mitte Februar) habe ich ein weiteres Foto eines jugendlichen, scharfhäutigen Falken gepostet, das ich fälschlicherweise als Coopers Hawk identifiziert habe. Der junge, scharfhäutige Falke hat schmalere Beine und einen kürzeren Hals. Auch in diesem Jahr war ich überrascht, einen auf meinem Zaun zu finden. Dies wurde durch mein Küchenfenster genommen, zum Glück hatte ich es vor ein paar Wochen gereinigt.

Untergrund

Einer von zwei Zugangstunneln zum VW Werk in Wolfsburg. Gerade noch menschenleer werden sie zu den Schichtwechseln mehrmals am Tag von tausenden Mitarbeitern benutzt.
One of two access tunnels to the VW plant in Wolfsburg. Just barely deserted, they are used by thousands of employees several times a day for shift changes.

Northern Harrier

Wile visiting a wildlife refuge recently I spotted this female Northern Harrier resting in some reeds. They are very striking birds, and normally very shy. This one appeared more cooperative than usual and I was able to get a few sharp shots. They have a ring of lighter colored feathers around their face and a a group of white feathers at the base of their tail, that is quite visible when in flight. Enjoy!

California’s North Coast

I much prefer the northern coast of California to the long beaches of the southern half. I like the turmoil the rocks and waves create. I changed this one to black and white to emphasize the contrasts.

Ich ziehe die Nordküste Kaliforniens den langen Stränden der südlichen Hälfte vor. Ich mag die Turbulenzen, die die Felsen und Wellen verursachen. Ich habe dieses in Schwarzweiß geändert, um die Kontraste hervorzuheben.