Here I'm releasing my hatch year Bald Eagle that I adopted at Hawk Ridge in Duluth MN during the fall count season of 2009, this was the 72nd bird I've adopted through the Adopt A Raptor program at Hawk Ridge.

This beautiful bird was caught and banded by my friend Frank Nicoletti at his banding station not far from the Hawk Ridge overlook, it was brought up to the overlook to be displayed to everyone there and to allow me to adopt it (basically hold, be photographed with it and release it). This was a bird that I didn't believe that I would ever adopt because they normally don't allow adopters to handle Eagles, and I only adopt birds I can hold and release, because of my experience handling raptors they made an exception for me I believe.

Here is Michael Furtman's excellent photo of me releasing my Cooper's Hawk I adopted while at Hawk Ridge in Duluth MN

Check out my Hawk Ridge pages to see more shots of this great birding location.. Also check out my adoption page to see all the birds I've adopted over the years while visiting the Ridge.

Here is my shot of Lake Agnes in Banff that I took in 2000, the group I was with hiked around the shore to the back of the lake and then up the mountain and over to the other side and then back down to Lake Louise