Marsh Hawk (Circus cyaneus)

While strolling on the forest trails near Hatley Castle on the weekend I left a part of my camera tripod there. I returned yesterday but was unable to find the missing piece. However, since I was out there near Esquimalt Lagoon I decided to see if I could locate a couple of Belted Kingfishers I saw flying past earlier in the week. No luck on the Kingfishers but as I rounded a corner on the road behind the lagoon I spied a large bird on the ground whose photos make today's post. This is a female Marsh Hawk (Circus cyaneus), also known as the Northern Harrier. Though they are not uncommon, as is the case with so many of our local birds I had not seen one before. The bird has a number of distinguishing characteristics, two of which are visible in the photo to the left: Its wing tips look like they have been dipped in black ink and it has a clearly defined white rump.

Raptors on the Causeway

Yesterday's photo of the high-style canine reminded me of other animals on the Inner Harbour Causeway. Above is a man having his photo taken with a falcon. A photographer on the causeway offers this service and will print photos of you with this magnificent raptor and an Inner Harbour scene in the background. Well worth the $5 it costs. To the left is another raptor I spied recently on the Causeway. This is one of a number of Bald Eagle statues that have been painted by local artists and distributed around the city. This particular eagle, entitled "Free Fall", was painted by Wendy "Sage River" Rogers. The eagles will remain in place until the spring of 2010, when they will be auctioned to raise money for the BC Lions' Easter Seals Campaign that raises money for children with disabilities. To find out more about this campaign, visit Eagles in the City.