Raptor Money Shot You Must See + Who Steals Someone Else’s Roses?

ACROSS AMERICA — Wildlife photography requires patience. Photographers have no control over the scene and must be ready to snap the shutter as the action unfolds.

Photographer Elizabeth Yicheng Shen was waiting at California’s Coyote Hills Regional Park for Fernando, a Chilean flamingo, to wake up from his afternoon nap when another moment presented itself,

A northern harrier in flight, ready to swoop down and clutch its prey. The photo won her a $1,000 prize in the 2021 Audubon Photography Awards.

“People have reported seeing the lone flamingo in the park since 2010, so I went out to photograph him,” Shen said. “A commotion from the nearby water, where a great blue heron stalked prey and a few gulls rested, attracted my attention. A northern harrier had come out of nowhere to hunt. I quickly adjusted my camera settings so I could get her owl-like face. This kind of unexpected encounter is why I always carry my camera when I venture into nature.” Read the complete story on Fremont, California, Patch.

Who Does This?

Stop and pick the roses without asking, said no one ever. Certainly Tommy Dang didn’t say it. But he saw it happening on his doorbell camera.

“I’m actually at awe at how casual this person would be, just walking up to someone’s home and cutting their flowers without any hesitation,” the Virginia homeowner told Patch in an email.

He had quite a bit more to say about the thievery, including: “I would like to tell this person please be respectful of other people's property. You don't just walk into people's home and casually cut their flowers without consent or any considerations for their plants/garden." Read the complete story on Fairfax City, Virginia, Patch

More Good Reads

Busted On Video: How many times do officials at national parks have to tell people to leave bears alone? Repeatedly, apparently, via Wheaton, Illinois, Patch.

“Like A Bomb Went Off”: That’s the assessment of a public official after severe storms, including four possible tornadoes, swept through Bucks County, Pennsylvania, via Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Patch.

Video: The Miracle Of Birth: This is guaranteed safe for the kiddos to watch and a good science lesson to boot — a rescued male seahorse gives birth, via Clearwater, Florida, Patch

Update: “Barney” The Bull’s Great Escape: If you’ve been following the bull that escaped slaughter in Mastic, New York, he’s rolling in money, via Shirley-Mastic, New York, Patch.

Your Good News Fix: There’s lots to make you smile in this collection of uplifting news stories from Patch editors, via Across America Patch.

Quotable

“A uniform policy across all New York City Broadway theatres makes it simple for our audiences and should give even more confidence to our guests about how seriously Broadway is taking audience safety.”

— Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin on the requirement that all Broadway audiences be vaccinated, via New York City Patch

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