If there’s one great hobby that “flies” under the radar, it’s the exciting and fascinating world of birding. Participants of this activity, known appropriately as birders, must exercise skills of patience, carefully honed hearing, and of course, the ability to use binoculars (or monocular, depending on your status as a birder.) In our neck of the woods, winter birding is a great way to spend the day observing some of our local, winged residents. A mere stroll along the river trail with a pair of binos is a great place to start. Here’s a look at a few around-the-way habitats, bustling with feathery activity.
 

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  The largest raptor in North America, a golden eagle rides thermals above a ridgeline with its ever impressive wingspan.

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  A redtail hawk finds a perch on an old fencepost along the Los Piños River.

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  Unrivaled in its noisy chatter, a flock of starlings head to the next spot.

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  The beautiful earth-toned tail feathers of a killdeer.

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  A golden eagle adds a carefully selected twig to it’s nesting site, near Dolores.