I see it!
What Ellen sees at first:
What Ted sees at first and I saw after circling to get a better view:
The big picture, taken when I first got out of the car, liking the tree but still not noticing the Hawk on the left:
I expected the Hawk would be long gone before I got any closer.
Good bye!
He waited, I waited.
A Barred Owl passed over me and I just saw his wing. A few moments later another one zipped through the tree canopy. After walking along slowly and listening as the two owls “talked” to each other and several Crows made a ruckus overhead I spotted one high in a tree.
He then flew towards a pond where I have seen an Owl before. I slowly walked in that direction, standing and waiting and I finally spotted him. This tree stands in the middle of that small pond. He was a little closer to the ground, maybe twenty feet (six meters) up.
I inched around the side of the pond and got a side view.
And a few more feet along and more waiting, the sun popped out for a minute.
These were taken with my Sony Alpha 6500 with Sony 55-210 MM lens, which I rarely use for wildlife. However, my Canon is off having the media slot fixed and I was pleased how these came out.
I heard two Barred Owls talking to each other with that low cooing sound they use when they are on the hunt. After perching in a few spots in the tree canopy one of them settled for a bit above a small pond.
I check this spot regularly, knowing that at least a pair of Barred Owls hunt here. Looking through past posts, June of 2018 was the last time my passing here was rewarded.
Sony Alpha 6500, Sony 55-210 mm
Perched over a boggy area at the edge of the swamp this Red-shouldered Hawk had just swooped in and seemed on high alert, probably looking for a meal.
He spent a few minutes here studying the area then moved on without even trying to catch lunch.
Check out his talons, curved around that branch. This is how they squeeze their meals. (Turtle, It’s What’s For Lunch)
With no leaves on the trees the Red-shouldered Hawks are easy to spot when they are around the edges of the swamp. Their red-orange color palette and size stand out even when they aren’t moving.
After first seeing this one I was able to get an unobstructed view from a little further along the trail.
He appeared to be looking for a snack as he studied the ground.
After about 20 minutes he flexed his wings and I expected him to fly, hoping it would be left to right in front of me.
Not to be, he settled in facing the other way.
I saw this Red-shouldered Hawk standing on the ground at the side of a pond and approached slowly. Other times I’ve seen them do this the bird was squeezing his next meal, but I didn’t see any food here.
Afterwards, when I zoomed in on what I thought was a tree root or Cypress knee, it turned out to be a turtle standing on its end.
Who knew a Red-shouldered Hawk could lift so much?He didn’t struggle at all and disappeared into the woods with his catch
I don’t know what made the hawk take off; I was standing still and the only human in view.
These were taken with the Sony Alpha 6500 which uses an electronic viewfinder, not the best arrangement for images of birds in flight due to the lag time.
Sony Alpha 6500, Sony 55-210 mm, at 210 mm.
I was taking a short-cut from the rice field back to the swamp and almost walked by him, perched on a branch just off the path. Throughout December I have been hearing the Red-shouldered Hawks calling around the swamp but this is the first one of seen in awhile.
Taken 1/2/2019.
The Bald Eagles were active November 17 at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, partly due to a fish die off. I previously shared a series of an Eagle Fishing in the Canal from that morning. These single shots were taken in the same area.
The Eagles ignored the Alligators and the Vultures ignored the Eagles.
Great Egrets mostly ignored the Eagles, too, feeling no threat on this day. A large group of Ibis left in a panic during one of the Eagle fly overs.
There are a number of Red-shouldered Hawks around the swamps I frequent. I often hear them call, and this day I finally spotted one on an open branch. I thought he was about to fly after displaying the rousing behavior.
Instead he settled in and called some more. I’ve observed Red-shouldered Hawks make a lot of noise like this before when they appear to be hunting, as contrary as it seems. All potential prey should be driven into hiding.
I moved to a vantage point on a perpendicular trail just in time to see him fly off.
He didn’t go far and continued his calling.
I had seen a splash up the river where I was watching the Dolphins and thought it might be a strand feeding I had missed. Turns out it was an Osprey using his skills to get lunch!
I was quite surprised when he flew right passed me and continued out to the edge of the ocean where he landed to eat.
I had expected him to turn inland and find a tree and some cover. There had been several Pelicans watching him fish and an Eagle flying over–just a couple of characters that would be happy to take his meal away.
