Again, cheats from Yellowstone. The eagle above looks like it is just molting the last of the juvenile feather set. I’ll not going to say that’s definate …
Big Birds
Osprey
I feel like it’s sorta cheating to use photos from Yellowstone. I mean, where’s the challenge? Those pesky birds and critters are just all over the place.
Gray Jay
I know I’ve posted other images of gray jays before, but this one was pretty insistent that I take its picture.
Gray Jays
We took a break before hiking in the Hurricane Ridge area of the Olympic National Park. We immediately we visited by a flock of gray jays. I am always amazed how they seem to know where someone is eating. We guard our food carefully, since they are so little afraid of humans that they will swoop down and grab food off the picnic table right in front of you.
I like the different expressions they exhibit. And their lack of fear of humans (while generally a bad thing) is helpful for being able to get images like these with your iPhone. I shot these with my iPhone 16 Pro Max. I had a camera with me, but left it in the knapsack for these.
Bike Trip Birds
We went out for a bike ride on the Discovery Trail on the section just east of Sequim, Washington. Just as we were about to turn into the parking lot, we saw this flock of 16 quail. We stopped, I got out my phone and took a picture … then slowly drove and they scattered doing their quail dance/run.
About half way through we saw this vulture on a dead tree along the trail. Sorta wondered if it was a commentary on the way some of the bikers looked … struggling along looking like they would fall over at any time. Don’t usually see much wildlife when I’m out biking … too much attention focused on the roadway, I guess.
