Friday, March 27, 2009

Red-shouldered Hawk Territory

My most recent visit with the hawk pair was March 23rd and spanned nearly four hours. I could see that a hawk was incubating on the nest, but I couldn't see which hawk it was from where I normally watch.
So I walked across the leaves to the top of the neighboring driveway to get a better look and confirmed it was the female. In my previous position I could see her turning her head, watching movement in the yard. But when I stood in this spot, she stared at me intently.
Afraid she might leave the nest, I snapped a few images and retreated. When I returned to my previous location, she resumed looking around.

While I sit with the hawks I sketch and watch the other wildlife in the yard.
Squirrels and other birds are busy all around me. I wondered if one of the squirrels was any the wiser for his experience. He seemed to be missing some of his tail. On the other hand, I've now seen the speed of a strike and I'm sure no matter how alert the prey, the outcome lies in the skill of the hawk.
This stunning female cardinal landed on the dogwood in front of me while her mate or suitor sat on the roof over my head calling with steady 'beeps'. She hopped and turned and flared her crest into spikes.
And just as I was thinking, I'm not going to see the male hawk today, I looked beyond the cardinal and there he was, perched high in a tree to my back while I was sketching.
Next: Domestic duties, hawk style.
This post is part of a series on a nesting pair of red-shouldered hawks. To see the entire series click here.
Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #31 at Birdfreak.com to promote conservation of our world's birds.

6 comments:

  1. Love the drawings!! Great shots of the hawk watching you from the nest too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. your journal pages are gorgeous! I love the photos of the female cardinal too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your Cardinal. I had a Cardinal stop by yesterday that was a very intense bright red. I do not usually have a lot of success with my Cardinal shots, because my camera explodes the reds. Your journal looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Super coverage of my favorite hawks, the Red-shouldered Hawk. You are truly blessed Vickie.

    The captures of the female Cardinal are gorgeous. I have always thought that the female, with all of her nuances of color, are more beautiful and more interesting than the male of the species.

    Thanks for sharing the great photos and , of course, the hawk saga.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've really been enjoying your Red-shouldered Hawk posts, Vickie. I certainly can't complain about the brief interruption by that magnificent Lady Cardinal, though. Wow! "Stunning" is definitely an apt description.

    Great BPW shots!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, I love all of the links that you have included. I found myself wanting to read the sketchbook notes, but the slides went a little too fast for me. Gorgeous!!
    See you at KTOS.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Ocean Trail at Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, California--2015

Ocean Trail at Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, California--2015

Bird-banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park--2014

Bird-banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park--2014
Photo courtesy of Jody Stone

Bird-banding at Seven Islands

Bird-banding at Seven Islands
Photo courtesy of Karen Wilkenson

Enjoying Gray Jays in Churchill!--2014

Enjoying Gray Jays in Churchill!--2014
Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Expeditions

Smithsonian National Zoo with one of my Whooping Crane banners and son, John--2014

Smithsonian National Zoo with one of my Whooping Crane banners and son, John--2014

The Incredible Muir Woods near Stinson Beach, CA--2014

The Incredible Muir Woods near Stinson Beach, CA--2014
Photo courtesy of Wendy Pitts Reeves

Me and Denali--2012

Me and Denali--2012
Photo courtesy of Bob King

For the Love of It...

...the sage sees heaven reflected in Nature as in a mirror, and he pursues this Art, not for the sake of gold or silver, but for the love of the knowledge which it reveals.
Sendivogius (1750)

Your Uncapped Creativity...

Your Uncapped Creativity...
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, nor how valuable. Nor how it compares with other expressions. It is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly." ----the great dancer, Martha Graham