After hearing from a fellow photographer and birder about the opportunity to take part in a photo session of various birds of prey, I ventured onto the Canadian Raptor Conservancy (CRC) website. There I discovered that the CRC not only provides photography sessions but also is involved with captive breeding, bird rehabilitation, bird control, research and consulting, TV and motion picture support, and shows and demos for each school grade level. If you ever wished Canada had a national bird see their website https://canadianraptorconservancy.com/ for details on this petition as well as additional details on topics mentioned above.
Last Saturday afternoon, with all the weather warnings, I found myself in Vittoria, Ontario, just on the outskirts of Simcoe, on the property of CRC. Much to the amazement of the dozen photographers from different parts of Ontario, Quebec, and Michigan, we found ourselves under blue skies and bright sunshine. During the photo session, James and Shauna Cowan, from Canadian Raptor Conservancy, provided the presentation of a dozen different birds of prey, allowing for plenty of opportunities and photography techniques to capture these birds in flight or in a perched positions. Here are a few of the photos I took during that two-hour sunny stretch on a June Saturday. The best place to find more information about these wonderful animals is on the CRC Facebook page.
During my drive home, I struggled with the idea of captive breeding of birds. In the end, my hope is that by seeing these raptors and sharing these photographs it just may help foster a better connection and respect for nature, and I would hope this type of event and our many photographs helps inspire people to be better stewards of their local green spaces to better live in harmony with Mother Nature.
