Red-shouldered Hawk

The most common diurnal raptor seen on or over our property is the Red-shouldered Hawk. A pair nested in a nearby tree and raised two young. This week an immature hawk landed on the back fence. I thought it might be preying on the feeder birds. 

Viewing through a back window, I snapped a quick photo before "he" launched and flew nearer to rest on the back of a chair next to the swimming pool:

His attention seemed fixed on something on the ground nearby, and he flew down to the lawn:

The prey turned out to be a small insect, probably a grasshopper!  It is barely visible in his bill:

I quietly exited to the back yard and hoped to catch better photos, but the hawk took flight and disappeared:

The American Goldfinches typically wait until late summer to begin nesting. They depend upon the spent flowers (notably thistles and other composites) to provide feathery pappus for their nest lining. I observed both members of a pair as they gathered the delicate downy fibers and carried them to an unseen nest site high in the canopy of a maple tree. My photos were taken from quite a distance.

Male American Goldfinch:

Female:

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are swarming to our feeder. It holds one cup of nectar (1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water) and is often emptied by mid-afternoon. I am seeing only females and immature birds. Adult males with their red throats (gorgets) have rarely visited and I have not been able to photograph a single one.

Slow-motion video of three hummers vying for a place at the feeder:

The White-tailed Deer fawn is rapidly growing. They lose their spots at 3-4 months of age. Males will stay with their mothers for a year, while females tend to associate with their mothers (and often with a new sibling) for two years.

Our "Bambi" appeared as recently born on June 30. This photo was taken July 23:

On the home front, our younger granddaughter's pet Flemish Giant Rabbit is still growing:

The daylilies left here by the previous homeowner are still blooming and surprising us with several varieties appearing in succession. This one is speckled pink:

We have experienced a heat wave and the swimming pool is popular. One sunset was so beautiful that our daughter texted me after I had prepared for bed and was watching a baseball game on TV. I walked out to photograph the sky, at first not noticing that her husband, who was in the pool, had his "waterproof" cell phone and was also intent on the colorful sky. With Roly's permission, this is his nicely reflected view from inside the pool:

In mismatched plaid pj's and bathrobe, I photobombed his skyscape: 

This was my photo, taken after the sun disappeared behind the western hills:

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Linking to:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World
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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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