Shenandoah Animals 2019

Red-tailed hawk at Big Meadows, a bird with a bad wing.  We saw the hawk at a raptor lecture.

Kookaberra and other animals at the Luray Zoo.

Peregrine falcon (through a cage)

Goat that wants attention.

It always tastes better on the other side.

A goat with a beard is not necessarily male.

I loved this photo.  The Blues Brothers and Snowball, the peacocks at Brookside Cabins.  They had just lost most of their fan feathers, so closeups were better and I had to put my lens right up to the cage to make the wires disappear.

Raptors at Nature Visions Expo

We attended the Nature Visions Photography Expo in Manassas last week.  Joe McNally was the most well known presenter this year, a photographic generalist.  

Besides learning some interesting photogrsphic lessons, we signed up to photograph some disabled refuge birds.  The birds can no longer live in the wild due to injuries and mental difficulties.  1 pm wasn't exactly prime photography time,  so I tried to reduce the harsh shadows on the birds with a neutral density filter (darkens the bright sun) and a fill flash to lighten the shadows.

Here are the best results:

     Red tailed hawk

     Red tailed hawk

     Harris hawk

   Harris hawk

     Peregrine falcon

     Peregrine Falcon

     Peregrine Falcon

     Peregrine Falcon

     North American Kestrel

     North American Kestrel

     North American Kestrel

The Kestrel was my favorite, only about 6-8 inches tall or so.  

Which ones do you like the best?