West Seattle wildlife (sort of): Horse training; bird watching

Sorry, no goat reunions today, but we do have two animal photos to share, and one in fact DOES involve police: That first photo – which we snapped by cameraphone during an afternoon errand at Westwood Village – is in desperate need of a caption. Just can’t think of it. Suggestions? Police told us they took these horses to WV to help them get used to car traffic. (The Seattle Police Mounted Patrol, by the way, is based right here in West Seattle, in Westcrest Park.) Meantime, traveling Beach Drive just north of Me-Kwa-Mooks, we had to pull over and admire this big bird, more than three times the size of the crows that were harassing him/her:

Peregrine falcon? UPDATE: “K” suggests, in the comment section, that it might be a young bald eagle. Photos like this seem to verify that possibility (and of course eagles ARE often seen around Alki/Beach Drive).

11 Replies to "West Seattle wildlife (sort of): Horse training; bird watching"

  • K February 5, 2009 (5:20 pm)

    I live right near there. I think that’s our local immature bald eagle. Was he spotty brown and white?

  • WSB February 5, 2009 (5:25 pm)

    I sharpened up the photo as best I could and it does seem like mottling. Didn’t know young eagles were mottled!

  • d February 5, 2009 (5:41 pm)

    Yup – a juvie eagle. Good eye you guys!

    Maybe you need a sunroof WSB – that’s often how I do my birding in the city. :]

  • miws February 5, 2009 (5:46 pm)

    Caption: Officers Friday and Gannon stop by the ATM to get cash to pick up lunch at McDonald’s Drive-Thru.

    .

    Mike

  • WSB February 5, 2009 (5:54 pm)

    I would have missed it if not for Junior Member of the Team, who accompanied me on our afternoon shoot with local robotics kids at the UW (story later). We’re taking “the long way home” and he hollers, “What’s that big bird over there?” from quite the distance.

  • d February 5, 2009 (5:59 pm)

    Ah, well, no need for a sunroof when you’ve got a good wing man!

  • Iggy February 5, 2009 (7:59 pm)

    Yep, an immature (juvenile) bald eagle. They don’t get the white on the head until they are 3 to 5 years old. Peregrins are much smaller—more like the size of a large crow.

  • Alki Res. February 6, 2009 (1:26 am)

    ok… here’s one… I feel like the black & white one. I bought stock in WaMu just before it went *tits up* I really didn’t think it was going to do that :-(

  • tye February 6, 2009 (9:23 am)

    By the way, your camera-phone takes pretty amazing pictures!

  • Steph February 6, 2009 (10:11 am)

    I have seen a young bald eagle just like this one eating a crow with all the crow-friends around squawking at him. One large beautiful bird!

  • lina rose February 6, 2009 (11:40 am)

    yup- i agree- it is a juvenile bald eagle. There is a nest in Me Kwa Mooks and over the summer I heard lots of activity around the nest- must have been this little guy growing up!

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