Golden Eagle juvenile

Happy first day of Fall!

This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo two days ago, on 21 September 2015. Though I have seen a number of Golden Eagles in the wild in Alberta, they have always been very, very distant. Seen in the wild is the ideal way, of course, but seeing one close lets you really see the details of these magnificent birds of prey. The bird in this photo is a juvenile, as it still has patches of white on its feathers, and I came across it unexpectedly. The Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles used to be in a huge enclosure and then last (?) year the wire fencing was taken down and I hadn't seen the birds since then. Glad to see that at least this individual is still at our Zoo, and hopefully the others are, too.

"The Golden Eagle is one of the largest, fastest, nimblest raptors in North America. Lustrous gold feathers gleam on the back of its head and neck; a powerful beak and talons advertise its hunting prowess. You're most likely to see this eagle in western North America, soaring on steady wings or diving in pursuit of the jackrabbits and other small mammals that are its main prey. Sometimes seen attacking large mammals, or fighting off coyotes or bears in defense of its prey and young, the Golden Eagle has long inspired both reverence and fear." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagle/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle

I called in at the ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house first, as this display is coming to an end. The beautiful tropical plants are fading and the number of butterfly species the other day seemed to be down. Still managed to get a few photos, though.

Thank you to the Zoo staff who made this room such a delight to visit since spring. Really wish I had been able to get to the Zoo more than just a couple of times this year! There were lots of people there the day before yesterday, now that ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival has begun.