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Thursday, July 28, 2022

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:



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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23 comments:

  1. Beautiful Photos! Have you ever photographed Falcons; I saw a couple while golfing and would love to see some up close, they were just gorgeous?

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  2. My guess is this is a sunrise? Beautiful and flaming colors. Love the color of the day lilies. Isn't it nice to inherit plants and flowers in the yard? Most beautiful moments of the red shouldered hawk in flight!

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    1. No, Jesh it was sunset and yes, I am very early to bed!

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  3. We have a lot of Hawks in our area.

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  4. Awww … how sweet is Bambi and your granddaughter with her sunny smile and the big bunny are a dream team.

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  5. You have some great skies there. A wonderful view especially from the pool. I love your hawk photos, we have had Coopers Hawks and Sharpshinned Hawks in our yard. Lots of birds, bunnies, and squirrels for them to eat.

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  6. Wow, what a gorgeous sky!! There is something about hawks that fascinate me. Thankfully, they are regular visitors in our neighborhood.

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  7. I'm not sure I've ever seen a Red-shouldered Hawk. Your photos show off the red shoulders very well!

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  8. What a handsome guy, the red shouldered hawk. The mismatched plaids looks fabulous though. And as always the sky shots are awe-inspiring. <3

    Bless you all loads, Ken. xo

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  9. Hello Ken,
    Wow, your sky images are stunning. What a gorgeous view. I love that giant bunny, cute photo of your granddaughter. Love the sweet Goldfinches. Awesome series on the Red-shouldered Hawk. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  10. The sunset photos are spectacular! And how fun to see YOU! We never tire of seeing the sunset and walk outside every chance we get for a good photo. (here too!) Love the Hawk. It's not often you get to see both red shoulders! WOW!

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  11. Fabulous bird shots! I really like the sky pics.

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  12. Beautiful photos, as always! So nice to see the hawk in detail and admire the wonderful patterns of the feathers and sea-green eyes. The goldfinches are so bright and pretty and I learned that they nest in late summer. How sweet is your granddaughter with her giant bunny, and wow! what a gorgeous sky! Love the plaid combo :)

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  13. Yes, I enjoyed reading again. The red Hawk is a wonderful bird. Have a good week.

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  14. Wonderful nature photos! That pet rabbit is huge!

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  15. Your sunset photos are always spectacular (by the way, baseball is my favorite sport). Love the hawk hunting it's prey!!

    Thanks so much for the terrific post this week and sharing your

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  16. Those in flight shots are magnificient. (I seem to say that all the time?!) and you have a great view from the pool! Thanks for joining in #Allseasons

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  17. Stunning Hawk shots, Daylilies are sparkling in the daylight. The sunset shot took my breath away. Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair

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  18. Another awesome series of photographs, Ken!

    Love the young Red-shouldered Hawk and I'm still jealous you get to see American Goldfinches in full breeding plumage.

    As to your attire - what do you mean "mismatched"? Looks okay to me.

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  19. I love raptors, and that hawk is a beauty!
    Your granddaughter's rabbit is HUGE! I had no idea there were rabbits that could attain that size!
    Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/08/magical.html

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  20. That's a big rabbit! Love the hawk shots as well. I was lucky enough to see a White-bellied Sea-eagle last weekend - wonderful bird.

    Sorry for the long gap between visits / comments, the last few months have been strange to say the least. Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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