Raptor

Walked out with DH to the barn this morning to feed the animals, and, lo and behold, a gigantic bird of prey was perched on top of the antique grain shed! I quietly stepped inside the house, grabbed my camera, but by the time I fumbled around with it and it made all the requisite noises and requests prior to assuming the "on" position (silly camera), the bird had taken flight, so all I got was this:

By this time it was pretty far away from me - and look how huge it is! And no, it wasn't a Turkey Buzzard; having grown up in this general area, I know what they look like. Not a hawk; I see hawks all the time. This bird made both DH and me stop in our tracks. We both got a good look at it while it was on the shed, and I am 99% certain it was a Golden Eagle (although I'm certainly no ornithologist). What a moment! Needless to say the ladies have been confined to their run for the day. I hope, too, that the barn cats decide to write this cold, dreary day off and nap in the hay.

Second photo - the wing tip feathers can just be seen by zooming in on the pic:

If it wasn't a Golden Eagle, then I'm stumped! I wish I had gotten the photo of the bird perched on the grain shed, against the backdrop of the fir and pine trees - it was truly a magnificent sight!