Driving Durham's Back-Roads

Finally, a day to roam around the backroads, with a repaired 150-500!  And I really needed the focal length today.  Lots of great sightings but most were quite a ways out.

There's an area in north-west Durham that had a coyote family last year that I hadn't visited in many months so I headed that way early this morning.  Rather than looking for an exotic creature, I decided to look for my friends the crows, who would lead me to all sorts of adventures, and they didn't disappoint.

There were hundreds of crows and they started an alarm call that I've only heard them use for Great Horned Owls so I knew it was a serious predator.  It turned out to be not one but two eagles!  They were so far out that there were no photos (are they ever fast flyers!).  At one point the eagles connected mid-air, and did a little dance which was amazing.  In the adjacent field other crows reported that two coyotes were in the area.  One was a beautiful black one, who looked very much like one of the family members from last year.  He was very alpha in his behaviour.



I also saw a mysterious large bird in a treetop - I finally figured out it was a wild turkey!  That is only the second time I've seen one in a tree.  There were actually several roosting, but each had chosen his own tree. 

This one took off which was very cool.  I didn't think I'd get a wild turkey flight shot today!  Too bad he was so far away.

During the back-road drive I also saw 3 flocks of Wild Turkeys, a Common Raven, 3 Red-Tailed Hawks, numerous Jays, Crows, Snow Buntings and Juncos...and this cute Downy Woodpecker. 
 
I had heard the typical tapping but it sounded a bit off.  Instead of finding him clinging to tree bark I found him latched onto this seed head.  How the heck he was still hammering so loudly is beyond me.
 
 
 
A bit closer to home I met up with some waterfowl.   The backdrop was a beautiful blue-grey in Whitby where I saw a black-backed gull and mute swans in flight.

 

 
A few blocks later I stopped to catch this gull in flight.  They are fun to photograph on windy days. 

My last critter of the day was this pretty mockingbird by Pringle Creek, eating berries.



Now that I'm home, I better swing into action and get some chores done before the start of another work week. 

Happy shooting!