Me and a good looking Female

[mbhandy]

Looks like a grouse with an attitude

I believe it would eat grouse with attitude.

I really like the vest and jacket combo.

MrBill

[ozmeath]

I did notice your hose matched the beak! Don't know if it was intentional but it looks cool. That bird, even from a dickie little computer screen emanates attitude. a very badarse animal.

[wsk]

Butiful lass, I wish there were more in nature though, I don't want to change our national bird to something like a pidgoin (there are too many of them)

There really are quite a lot of them. Several years ago we took a whale-watching day-trip from the north tip of Vancouver Island - didn't see any whales but saw tons of bald eagles. Now that we've got most of the ddt out of the environment they are recovering. But, by no means does that mean that they are out of danger.

My mom is a raptor rehabilitator in New Mexico. There is never a time when she doesn't have a near full house of injured birds. Our built environment is a real struggle for them - power lines, windows fences, automobiles ... She gets birds that have been poisoned, shot, caught in traps. She has a turkey vulture that as a young bird was illegally taken from the nest and fed hamburger. Because of that improper diet the bones became soft and rubbery. Here is a soaring bird that will never fly.

While a lot of the birds mom gets can be returned to the wild, many can't and are euthenized. Those birds that can't be released but are otherwise healthy are kept as educational birds or are givien to Zuni Pueblo where the Zuni keep them for their feathers which they then sell to tribes across the nation for ceremonial use. Better to harvest feathers than to harvest the birds.

Birds the size of Syrup are heavy. That's why Foxgun Tom is supporting his fist with the shillelagh. I just remembered this picture:

This is the turkey vulture I mentioned before - you can see how her left wing droops. I'm holding her fairly close because she'd just finished eating (on the fist) and had taken her time about it; my arm was getting tired and TVs are significantly lighter than Balds.

[Pour1Malt]

here is the pic o' the baldy that wuz a' the local fair this summer...

(just outside Dumfries)

it this a relative?

[wsk]

here is the pic o' the baldy that wuz a' the local fair this summer...

(just outside Dumfries)

it this a relative?

Bet it is - could be the same bird. Note the two-color symbol at the top of the sign is the same colors as the symbol in the first two photos of the OP

[Foxgun Tom]

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000

[keepoffgrass]

Wow! now thats great! I have always been way interested in falcondry. Awesome. I'm a total bird lover. I have two parrots right now, but have aways wanted to work with raptors. that would be great. where do I go? what do I have to do to get licensed and sponsored?

[Rigged]

Absolutely wonderful! And the affection seems to be mutual. You're a lucky man to have such a noble dame.

[Pour1Malt]

It is the same bird!! myself and Phoenix Falconry were at the Dumfries and Galloway Country Fair wer'e there every year, you should have came up and said hello

Tom

aye... that ai will!

[RCallan]

We have quite a few in the wild here in Florida...I think the population is 2nd only to Alaska. They have made quite a comeback around here with all the freshwater lakes. I know of 2 in my area... and have seen several just flying around in other places.

Always very cool to watch.