I took a break from all the indoor busyness, such as packing, this lovely morning, and sat in my wicker garden chair looking UP! I looked up for so long I thought my chin would never come down again. My neck was quite painful for a while. I even sent Bob for a can of OFF to spray for the mosquitoes making a meal of my bare ankles and elbows.
What we do to get photos of our garden birds, it's almost ridiculous.
Several blue jays were making such a commotion in the neighbor's oak tree I just knew something was up. Looking in that direction it wasn't difficult to spot this beautiful red-tailed hawk, probably a juvenile as it had a speckled chest. These birds grow to 25" and can have a wingspan up to 4 feet.
Click to enlarge
The jays dive-bombed at the hawk over and over, bumping its head and shoulders.
Jays, highly intelligent birds, are known as the alarm of the forest screaming at any
woodland intruders
The hawk wouldn't fly off, just moved to another nearby branch………
………and was then also cawed at several times by two crows swooping down.
We then noticed a dead squirrel on the neighbor's chimney - brought by the hawk
and dropped there most likely.
This hawk stayed in the tree about an hour……then it flew away, picking up his takeaway lunch from the chimney, all just a few minutes after I gave up waiting for that shot and went back in the house - of course!
Always happens when photographing wildlife, doesn't it?
Blue jay and red-tailed hawk on a beautiful May morning.
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These are wonderful photos, Mary. I didn't know that about blue jays. We have many jays in our area but rarely see a hawk. Deb
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. Today I watched a black kite and a Brahminy kite soaring and playing on the updraughts near our apartment building. So relaxing.
ReplyDeleteIsn't always the way that you wait and wait for 'that' shot and as soon as you turn away it happens. The shots that you took though are magnificent. Have a wonderful journey xx
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning action photos of the birds - amazing shots - I'm jealous. Thanks for sharing and for looking up.
ReplyDeleteStunning shots, Mary, a walk on the wild side in suburbia. Sorry you got s crick in you neck and mozzi bites in the process, though.
ReplyDeleteThose were some great shots Mary!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos Mary. I love it when I'm lucky enough to see nature at work, thank you for sharing with us :o)
ReplyDeleteRose H
xx
It's truly amazing what goes on just outside our windows, isn't it? My husband says our back garden looks like a Disney movie sometimes. Bunnies and chipmunks, squirrels and birds. Raccoons, opossum, and owls. And yes, the occasional hawk. Scary creatures those are!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to be patient for these critters to 'perform' for us isn't it? You got some great shots though Mary. Happy June to you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots, Mary. We have hawks who nest in our neighborhood, but I've never gotten a good shot of them. A few years ago, they nested in one of our trees. They are amazing birds.
ReplyDeleteWow! What excitement just outside your window. Lovely shots of that hawk!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen anything like a squirrel on the chimney too. No wonder he
hasn't leaving, that was quite a load and he needed a bit of a rest.
Haha, such fun! I know all too well from experience that wildlife photography can try your patience! We have a pair of hawks that live near us, and we frequently spot them gliding over the countryside.
ReplyDelete