Searching for Breakfast

I went out fairly early to get in some last outside time before the rain.  It was not too bad out early but cloud cover has increased all morning and temperatures started falling.

 

Tomorrow is going to be a particularly raw day with more rain in the forecast until Wednesday. Much more and I am going to start looking at plans for an ark!

The hawks were out early trying to find some breakfast.  They are usually a bit on the shy side but today, this female who is still fairly young based on her color,  flew to a nearby tree  not once but twice.  At the second location, we looked at each other eye to eye so I know she knew I was there.  Maybe she was hoping that I would stir something up while I was walking.  It gave me the opportunity for a couple of nice shots.

Red-shouldered Hawk Hunting

Get set.....

Go......













Subduing prey....















Whoops...I dropped it.....


















Beak clean up....

















After meal ummm, pardon....


















More waiting and watching.  When the hawk flew to this tree, I was standing no more than 15 feet from it.  I stood for the longest time just watching it as it was checking out any movement and activity around it.

The Young Red-Shouldered Hawk

There is a young Red-Shouldered Hawk that has taken to hunting on a fairly regular basis in the wetlands in the park.  It flew in this morning as I was starting across the boardwalk.  After a night and morning of rain, the hawk found a spot in the tree where during our brief period of sunshine, it could warm and dry out. 
It was doing some serious feather spreading and preening.













 After about 10 minutes of drying, something down in the grasses caught its attention.  It leaned forward watching and planning its attack.  Finally the moment of attack and it flew. 

Yes, a poor little sparrow saw its last day but that is the cycle of life.

Red-Shouldered Hawk

After a rainy miserable day yesterday, the sun came out today and out I went too.  I walked up on a Red-Shouldered Hawk that was patiently hunting the wetland marsh and was able to ease up on the hawk.  I watched it for quite a while.  Eventually when I turned to move on, it flew to another tree but not too far.

I thought as I watched, how would we humans fare if we had to get out and hunt for food on a daily basis ( and I don't mean go to the refrigerator door, open and stare)?  It was obvious from watching the bird and a couple of failed attempts that it was hungry. 









I moved on and watched a Great Blue preening for a while then ran into a gentleman I see at the park fairly regular.  We began talking about the hawk and both of us decided to walk towards the back again. 












As we started down the trail, right in front of us there was the hawk.  It flew down to a log in a very brushy area.  Success!  It found breakfast.  The lighting conditions were terrible and mostly impossible to get a shot due to the brush.  I am guessing probably a sparrow but who knows.



 

Red-Shouldered Hawk

After an absolutely horrendous day at work, I felt the need for some alone time when I arrived home this afternoon.  I didn't want to hear anyone talking or phones ringing.  After quickly feeding and walking the dog, I grabbed the camera and headed out.

Sweet peace and quiet.  I first spotted the hawk as I was watching a pair of Indigo Buntings hunting.  I could not get a good shot of it then and figured I had lost my chance.  As I continued down the path, the hawk flew in behind and over me coming to rest in a tree.  Too hidden by the foliage, no shot.  I kept walking and before to long, once again it flew over and came to rest in a tree.  I ever so carefully eased up on it moving very slowly expecting it to fly.  To my delight, it sat and allowed me to get fairly close.  By now it was close to 1730 and lighting was not optimal but I gave it a go.

Not too bad for hand holding with an ISO between 640 to 800 and a slow shutter speed.  After already witnessing a failed attempt at a dove, I left the hawk to hopefully find a meal for the evening.