Tag Archives: Raptor

Red-shouldered Hawk Looking For A Meal

I noticed this well camouflaged Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tangle of crepe myrtle branches. Then I realized it was the flitting of the Mocking Bird that had caught my eye.

Red-shouldered Hawk and Mocking Bird
Red-shouldered Hawk and Mocking Bird

The Mocking Bird passed in front of the hawk undisturbed and went on his way.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk

It was late afternoon and I thought maybe the hawk wasn’t in feeding mode, but then he dropped to the ground. He immediately mantled over some prey, covering it from other potential predators.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk

That prey either escaped or was very tiny, consumed in one bite.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk

The hawk flew to another crepe myrtle and continued to watch the ground.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
November 3, 2022

Red-shouldered Hawk ID confirmed with Merlin Bird ID app.

Osprey

I finally spotted the Osprey that had been calling, plaintively, for several minutes. By the time I raised my camera he had ducked down. The nest alone made an artsy silhouette on this grey day.

Osprey Nest
Osprey Nest – Canon 18-200mm

The Osprey is probably a juvenile, calling for a parent and hoping to get fed from the sound. An hour or so later he flew some laps around the area, and paused in this tree.

Osprey
Osprey – Tamron 180mm Macro

Then the sun came out and I saw the nest from a different angle, well placed in swamp.

Swamp, Cypress Gardens
Swamp, Cypress Gardens

August 26, 2022
Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner, SC