in
the
tree
Scroll down for the close up...
The guest guinea was going bonkers so I looked out the window to see what was going on. This beautiful hawk was sitting on the pig/dog box out in the back yard trying to decide if he wanted freerange banty hen or goofy guest guinea for supper. As I dashed outside, the hawk swooped off to the edge of the woods and landed in this old laurel oak.
Check out the camo on the back of the hawk ...pretty good tree bark pattern. This was a very cooperative hawk and it let me ooze slowly over to it until I was about twenty feet away.
At one point, it lifted off the branch and I thought I had spooked it, but it slipped down and snatched some small critter in the grass. After that, it flew back to the same branch and ate.
I moved closer.
That's when I spooked it.
17 comments:
Beautiful bird...and great pictures! I am always in awe whenever I see a hawk.
We watch a hawk like this one very often in our yard. It is very easily spooked, so we never go outside when it's in the yard. We don't have any chickens or any domestic birds, so it only comes for the birds that show up at our feeder. They are quite vigilant hunters.
There's a hawk that has taken up residence in our "citified" neighborhood, but he is also easily spooked and I've yet to get close enough to get a clear photo.
He seems to prefer sitting up high on the Norfolk pines where he can see all and be left alone. I have offered him our cats as prey but I was clawed apart for my efforts.
In many ways, it's a good thing they startle so easily or the idiots would be capturing them left and right.
Great picts, really enjoyed the closeup of the back, they really do blend in with the tree bark.
Was this taken on your property?
Broadwing? Can't tell the size from the photos, but they are just beautiful! Really impressive to get such clarity!
Nice tree, too.
Deb,
What is it about raptors? They do catch the eye.
Robin,
My banty hens, being female, are smart enough to escape their pen while the roosters remain inside dumbfounded. The hawk could take them I suppose,but the alarm guinea is way too big. Still, she feels it's her job to run around in circles screaming.
Laura,
Yes, this was in my back "yard". Don't give up hope on that cat/prey idea. ;)
You need to check out the MSN story about the raccoon pet attacks in CA. Sounds like the Thing!
ThreeCollie,
Could be. I didn't do any ID search. Glad you enjoyed the photos. Now you know why I build those critter shelters and brush piles around the place.
Pablo,
Well, yes, but it sorely needs to be climbed.
Wow nice shots. I'd say a Red-shouldered Hawk, but I'm not tops at hawk IDs. Especially when they're sitting still, LOL.
Rurality,
That's my guess too, they are very common around here.
Judging by the white bands on the tail, I'm going with Red-shouldered, as well. In Broad-shouldered, the white and black would be equal in width. That said, I'm once again jealous of that camera. AbFab shots there!
And yes, I'm a huge Justin Wilson fan. There's just something about a good ol' boy. 8-]
SophieMae,
I loved Justin's style and sense of good food and good fun. Miss him.
roger,
i am very, very sneaky.
I always feel like I've won a prize when I see a hawk fly overhead, low enough for a good look.
Beautiful pictures and you got such good detail of the hawk.
we have red tailed hawks at home. one occasionally visits our back yard, hunting mourning doves.
he (she? who knows?) started showing up several years ago when our cockatiel, fred, called him in. when fred was feeling full of vim and vigar, he would shriek. and shriek. and shriek. it was enough to make your ears ring. on warm days when he really got going, we'd set his cage out on the side porch. one day, he got really quiet really fast. i went out to investigate, and found the hawk eyeballing him from 15 feet or so away.
the hawk didn't get to snarf on fred, but the pickings were good enough that he stayed in the area.
raptors are so cool.
Sandy,
Yes, the hawk prize. I feel that way too. Today a beautiful hawk was eating a deer carcass beside the road and I did not have my camera!
Ericka,
I'm glad Fred survived his close encounter. Raptors are definitely too cool.
Excellent catch. I worry about ours - they're so much shyer than everyone elses.
Wayne,
People (and hawks?) tend to loosen up when they vacation in the tropics.
Awesome photos.
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