Swainson’s Hawks Arrive in Prescott

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swainsons hawk

First good photo of a Swainson’s hawk for 2017. We have a nesting pair in Prescott, Az near the Prescott High School. This bird is atop the scoreboard of the baseball field.

Western Scrub Jay at Peanut Feeder

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bird photography, birds, peanut bird feeder, western scrub jay

This is a western scrub jay, common in Prescott Az, taking a peanut from a peanut feeder. Scrub jays love peanuts, I had been putting some out on a platform feeder for several years. They will take all the peanuts you put out, they eat some by breaking the shells with their beak. What they don’t eat they cache (hide) for later.

Gary Gromer took this photo with two strobe lights and a Canon 5Dmk3 camera. He caught the moment when the bird plucked the peanut from the feeder while in flight. Earlier in the week I shot some photos with my Sony A6000 using ambient light, these did not turn out too well.

I bought this feeder at Jay’s Bird Barn in Prescott. We showed this image to the owner of that store, whose name is Eric (not Jay), and he asked for 3 prints which he is going to put in each of his 3 stores near the peanut feeders.

Watching birds near home good for mental health

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birds

The study, involving hundreds of people, found benefits for mental health of being able to see birds, shrubs and trees around the home, whether people lived in urban or more leafy suburban neighbourhoods.

Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170225102113.htm

Birds at Willow Lake, including a Bald Eagle

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bald eagle, birds, willow lake

Bald Eagle

Ducks

Flying Duck

Geese in the Grass

Roosting Grackles

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birds, grackles

A few dozen grackles roosting in a leafless tree near the Yavapai Humane Society in Prescott Az