Birds around the ranch

For a quite some time I've been heading out in the morning trying to get some good shots of the eagles that have been hanging around the ranch.  Pops has put meat on the fence attracting the eagles and everyone's been telling me that I should be out there snapping pics.  Well I have been... unfortunately Blue and the cat love to follow along.  Eagles don't like dogs, cats, or humans, so when I get somewhat close they fly off.


Here's my latest efforts.

An immature bald eagle and a magpie.

Blue is holding back so the eagle is actually staying...

But the temptation is just too great and he scares it off.

So I head over to the corral and take some pictures of this bird.
It's a Clark's Nutcracker, a jay bird.  And here I thought that all jay's were blue, but the book "All The Birds of North America" tells me different.

These birds are like crows when it comes to eating.

In frustration over the eagles, I head back to the house to upload the shots I did get.  While I'm uploading I hear thump, thump, thump.  I'm thinking a chicken was left out of the coop last night and is eating the bird seed on the deck.

I look up to see a female Downy Woodpecker sitting on the woodpile.  I took this picture through the window while sitting at my kitchen table.

Good grip on the little thing.

So while I'm typing up this post I look out the window and happen to see one of the eagles flying right past!  Then it lands in the horse pasture just above the garden!  I grab my camera, a stronger telephoto lens (and I really should have had a tripod) and I get this:

If it weren't for Blue I might have got a shot off while the bird was sitting... damn dog sticks to me like glue no matter where I am :)

So I've concluded that I should just sit at my table and wait for the birds to come to me :)

But I persist...

I head down to the shop looking for Pops to give him a message.  I have camera in hand and I really think everyone is starting to get used to seeing me with it because no one bats an eye anymore.

I spy one of the eagles in the tree above the mossy shack... no dogs are in sight to scare him/her off...I sneak up ever so quietly and get this:

And this:

It flies off and as I turn around I see Blue, No No, and Yeller all looking at me.  I give up!  At least Teddy knows better because this is what he was doing, good dog :)