A Visit to Pacific Northwest Raptors

April 3, 2019
|In Nature
|By Mike

Last weekend, my wife and I visited The Raptors for an all-day raptor experience.  Located a short drive from Duncan on Vancouver Island and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.  We enjoyed it so much we brought our kids and their grandparents the very next day so they could experience it as well.  Not only did we get to hold some awesome birds on our glove, we got to see the flying demo and participate in the Hawk Walk.  Overall, a great time and highly recommended if you want to get up close to some birds of prey.

Plenty of photo opportunities as well, here are a few of my shots.  All taken with my new combo of the Nikon Z7 and Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S.

Golden Eagle

Vancouver Island Raptors - Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S - Golden Eagle

 

Gyrfalcon, which was also in the flying demo.  Very cool.
Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Gyrfalcon head close up

 

Lindsay holding this beauty.
Vancouver Island Raptors - Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S - Gyrfalcon

Great Horned Owl, possibly my favorite.  During the flying demo he gets so close to the audience you can feel his wingtips on your head. Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Owl flying demo

Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Owl close up

Bald Eagle.  Just awesome to see such a beautiful bird up close. Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Bald Eagle flying demo

Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Bald Eagle flying demo

Boomer, the entertaining Kookaburra Vancouver Island Raptors - Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S - Kookaburra

Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Kookaburra

 

Spectacled Owl

Vancouver Island Raptors - Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S - Owl

Vancouver Island Raptors - Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S - Owl

 

Turkey Vulture Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Turkey Vulture flying demo

 

Red Tailed Hawk coming in for a landing during the Hawk Walk.
Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Hawk walk with Red Tailed Hawk

 

Saker Falcon Vancouver Island Raptors – Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S – Peregrine Falcon close up

 

American Kestrel

Vancouver Island Raptors - Nikon Z7 Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S - American Kestrel

 

 

 

bald eagle bird nature Nikon Z7