Out of all my photos from this excursion, this is by far my favorite. I love how the eagle is spreading its wings, almost like it is getting ready to fly. The eagle is much more than a bird; it is a symbol of the United States and its freedom. It is still crazy to me that this species was once endangered. I don't understand how or why anyone could kill a beautiful creature like this. Because of wildlife protection organizations, like the World Bird Sanctuary, along with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the population of eagles has increased immensely, so much so that they are no longer considered endangered or threatened!
Seeing these birds up close is not a common occasion, so I decided to include another picture of the bald eagle. This one is a different bird than the bird in the first photo and was located at a different spot in the bird sanctuary. My favorite part about this picture is the way he is looking off into the distance. It makes me wonder if he saw something, like another animal or bird, that caught his attention. Or maybe he was just posing for the camera!
The workers at the bird sanctuary were very helpful and even offered to pick the birds up so we could see them up close. I can't remember the exact species of this bird, but I think it is a type of hawk. I really love all of the different designs on its feathers along with the deep orange color contrasted with the lighter orange/cream color on the stomach. This picture also shows how large the talons of birds can be. Hawks can use their talons to perch and/or catch food.
This little guy was very interesting to watch. You could tell that he loved all of the attention that he was getting from our class, especially since we were so close to him. This bird is a species of owl known as the Great Horned Owl. My favorite part about this bird and photo are the feathers sticking out of the top of his head that resemble the horns. You can see some of the bright yellow feathers on these "horns" that really stand out.
After spending some time at the World Bird Sanctuary, we concluded our excursion with a drive around Lone Elk Park. By this time, it was snowing pretty heavily, and it was hard to see through the trees. We ended up seeing only one pack of bison, but I really love this moment that I was able to capture. The huge species of bison almost look small in this photo compared to the large amount of trees and leaves covering the ground. The bison look so peaceful and content in their environment, even on such a cold day.
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