California Raptor Center

[wildlightphoto]

The California Raptor Center (Raptor Center) is a rehabilitation and rescue center operated by the University of California at Davis as a training facility for veterinary students. The Raptor Center held an open house last weekend where several non-releasable birds were on public display:









These birds are non-releasable because of permanent injuries or imprinting. The Raptor Center releases about 60% of the birds taken in each year.

Technical stuff:

R8/DMR
350mm f/4.8 Telyt-R
UET-R extension tube
shoulder stock & monopod

Exposures were between 1/60 and 1/125 sec at f/4.8

All comments welcome.

[stuny]

Doug -

These are fabulous, of course. While you're there you might want to look up my friend Sallie.

[psquared]

Wow! And, at those slow shutter speeds!

Simply magnificent.

Peter

[StFreud]

Finest birds fotos, really great. Regards, SF

[michali]

Doug- Outstanding series!

[tobey bilek]

The more you study these amimals, the more perfect they seem.

I had a hawk in my neighborhood for a while until he /she cleaned up all the small rodents like chipmonks. It was marvelous to watch to the bird land in a small tree in my yard. He would sit there for hours moving nothing but his head a few degrees searching for prey. Being motionless, he was not noticed by the prey and therefore becomes his own hunting blind. When he found something, he could move like pure lighting.

They are all adapted to one thing extremely well for their survival. The owl shown looks like he has fancy eyes. In actuality, he can focus sound with the feathers around the ears.
And he can hear small moles under the snow at great distance. He leaves his perch and will dive on a patch of snow and unbury the mole.

The falcon can go into a stoop or fast dive up to 200 MPH. Nothing gets away and he spots prey from 2000 feet up.

Nature is marvelous.

[stuny]

Doug -

I forwarded the photos to my friend Sallie. She respnded with:

Thanks. These four are all old friends - someone had them out that day, I guess.

Sallie

[wildlightphoto]

Originally Posted by stuny

Doug -

I forwarded the photos to my friend Sallie. She respnded with:

Thanks. These four are all old friends - someone had them out that day, I guess.

Sallie

Thanks Stu, I had no idea your friend was at the Raptor Center at UC Davis. Perhaps she was there on Saturday?

[stuny]

Don't know. I've given her your URL. Perhaps she'll contact you. She is a very bright and fascinating individual.

[leicanut2]

Very nice a Wow indeed.
Cheers Jan