June 2006

And of course there is the calendar page for the whole month. This is a monument in downtown Cleveland to the soldiers and sailors that have served in the armed forces from that area. It's a big thing, and it's right in downtown.

The First Three Days In June

Once again, I forgot to post a picture yesterday on the first day of the month. So here I am trying to make up for it. This is the calendar page for the three days of this week that happen to fall in June. I spotted these deer running across a golf course in Ohio, and barely had time to squeeze off a shot before they were gone. Look closely and you can see the person on the lawnmower keeping a wary eye on these animals.

Cara What?

I promised more pictures from The Audubon Center For Birds Of Prey this past weekend, and this is probably my favorite bird from that trip. This is the Crested Cara Cara, a species of hawk that has a very limited range here in Florida. Experts estimate there are only about 300 nesting pairs in the entire state, most of them on private property around Lake Okeechobee. They are more prevelant in Texas, then south through Mexico and into South America. This species used to be thought related to vultures and buzzards, but recent research has shown these birds to be more closely related to hawks. They do tend to eat plenty of carrion, but they can hunt prey in the event there is nothing dead to plunder. The bird above was actually trained to sit on his handler's glove and was said to have much more personality than the other eagles, owls and hawks at the center. The bird below was in his cage and was very vocal whenever I approached, as if he were guarding his territory.

The End Of May

For this short week at the end of May, here's a great shot of some flowers I found up in Ohio. I believe this was at Stan Hywet last summer.

A Real Eagle Eye

Here's a shot I've been trying to get for a while, but bald eagles are pretty hard to get close to. I finally got smart and stopped in at the Audubon Center For Birds Of Prey in Maitland, Florida, and the trip was well worth it. The eagle above is named Frank, and he's a lifelong resident at the center, thanks to any early bout with pneumonia that left him with diminished lung capacity, and thus limiting his flight range to a few blocks. He was happy to pose for this picture (and hundreds more) while perched on the arm of his trainer.