Welcome April !

Sunday March 30th,was a chilly,mostly overcast day,but that was not going to stop me from heading to the Pembina Valley and the Hawk Watch going on there. The numbers have been low so far,but it has also been colder than normal. Having said that,birds are coming through and excitement is building.

This is not the moon,but rather a shot of the sun through the clouds on Sunday afternoon.

I share this simply to show you how cloudy it was.We later had a few breaks in the clouds and at just the right time.

Everyone,from professional birders to those who just enjoy watching the birds,gets excited when a Bald Eagle comes through.I said the clouds parted at just the right time. I love that blue behind the bird.

One Bald Eagle is good,two are even better.These two seemed to be a pair and were putting on a display for us.

Two Bald Eagles bring excitement but seeing four in the sky at once is  a moment to remember.

The highlight of the day came in a bird that was much too high for good pictures,but the four photographers who were there were busy firing one shot after the other.
This bird doesn't look that special and too some of you from the south it may not be,BUT,seeing a Black Vulture pass through the Pembina Valley,some 1500 miles out of its range,THAT IS EXCITING!!!!
This is one of only a couple of sightings of the Black Vulture in Manitoba,so excitement ran very high.I am so thankful that I was there to witness this moment and also get a few poor shots.
This bird normally is a resident of much of the southeastern states,from Texas to New York and Connecticut and southern Arizona.What a special moment that was!

On my way home that afternoon I had a super opportunity to get pictures of a male Northern Harrier.This is one of those birds that has eluded my camera for too long. I am very pleased with this un-cropped image which I got.

I think I can safely say that March 30th was a successful day for me.I had already received blessings during the morning church service and now all these amazing photo opportunities. I could do nothing more than to say Thank-you to my Lord Jesus for showering me with blessings on this day,because He owns the birds and directs their paths.

Psalm 50:10-11
For every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.