A Local Familiar Face

This morning I left the house early to see if I could find the Great Horned Owls I had heard two nights before at Front Range Community College. I checked all around, but didn't manage to find anything.

So, to not make a total waste of the morning I headed over to the intersection of 104th and Sheridan, where for years now a rare Red-tail Hawk has made its home. This is a leucistic, or partially albino Red-tail Hawk. It makes its home in the Cottonwood trees around some of the holes at the Legacy Ridge Golf Course.

The hawk gained a bit of notoriety a few years ago when it suffered a hazard of its home. It was found and taken to the Birds of Prey Foundation with a broken wing, which according to reports was caused when it was struck by a golf ball. I have seen the hawk several times as I have driven past on the busy thoroughfares, but have never stopped or attempted to photograph it.

As the days get longer I will try to get back and do this beautiful bird better justice. My attempts to take more creative control of my camera are still suffering some growing pains, and a cloud bank in front of the rising sun required that all these shots go through a bit of brightening and noise reduction to get them where they are. Despite that, still a bird worth sharing, and one that I hope to feature again soon.