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Thursday, December 8, 2022

Red-tails and Bluebirds #1040

Watching the World Cup matches has put a crimp on my birding the past week. Rain and cold, windy weather has confined us on a few days. Most of our observations have been through the windows and during brief sorties in the back yard.

A few days ago I looked out the window and saw an adult Red-tailed Hawk roosting half way up a large tree in the neighboring woodland. I ran for my hat and coat, binoculars and camera. Outside, I found that the hawk had  disappeared. Then a flock of crows appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be mobbing a predator. It was the Red-tail, which flew out of the wooded area and right over my head.

There was time for only a couple of photos against the cloudy sky: 

Coincidentally, a  Red-shouldered Hawk swooped up and away, allowing only one poor view of this smaller Buteo species:

A single American Robin called from a treetop. Although they were very uncommon during the winter when I was a kid in interior New Jersey, many now overwinter in the northeastern states:

Similarly, Eastern Bluebirds have become much more abundant since the 1960s, thanks to the increased provision of nest boxes in suburban and rural areas. Small flocks of 6-8 individuals are often present all winter. 

To my surprise, they are eating safflower seeds in the platform feeder, as photographed through the window on a dark and cloudy afternoon. Their preferred winter diet consists of fruits and berries, in the absence of insects: 

The success of my photos through the window depends upon ambient lighting conditions and proximity of the subject:



The bluebirds often visit the two nest boxes in the yard, but I have not seen them use them for overnight shelter. 


Here, a House Finch, a species which rarely nests in cavities, seemed interested in one of the bluebird houses. A female bluebird was guarding the door as the finch flew up:



The House Finch lingered on, but I never saw it enter the bird house:

Two White-tailed Deer, probably a yearling fawn and its mother, provided a nice photo-op from the back fence:

The deer often bed down during the day. This one chose a leaf-littered spot in a patch of sunlight next to the house:

A  second rested nearby:

View of downtown Hartford, 11 miles away, on a clear morning:


Sunset reflected on the swimming pool cover, December 5:


Two White-tailed Does eating eating our Holly as third lingers behind (view full screen to see its eye shine)-- View from our Casita front door RING Camera at 12:28 AM on Tuesday DEC 6:

Either the soft alarm chime or the bright floodlight on the Ring camera awakened me. I crept to the window just as one of the deer was sampling the Cotoneaster (which, like the holly, are supposed to be deer-resistant). They saw me and bolted to join the third doe at the top of the bluff.

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Linking to:



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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16 comments:

  1. I love, love, love those Red-tailed Hawk photos!

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  2. Great hawk photos!! And great other bird photos as well.

    Great that the deer are comfortable enough to bed down so close to your house.

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  3. Gorgeous photos of the hawk. I think the cloudy sky allows you to focus on the detail of the hawk, which is just beautiful.

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  4. ...Kenneth, you captured some gorgeous images, thank you. I was in the nursery/landscape business for 50 years, few things are deer resistant. When they are hungry, they will eat just about anything.

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  5. Your post has vivid view. Love those robins

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  6. The top three are sensational. You manage to get such great shots each week!! Thanks for joining in #Allseasons

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  7. Hello Ken,
    Awesome shots of the Hawk! I love the Bluebirds series, I am surprised the House Finch was not chased away. The Deer photos are lovely, they are cute critters. The ring camera takes great photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend!

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  8. The deer look pretty in the colorful leaves. I saw a bird box on a tree in the forest yesterday and we are seeing lots of bluebirds right now. I'm glad you can see birds from your window when the weather's not good. Love the Hawks against that white sky though. Thanks so much for the kind comments on my blog this week. I appreciate your words of sympathy and your friendship. Enjoy your weekend, Diane

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  9. Hawks and Bluebirds. That would make any day special for me!

    Thank you, Ken, for sharing some winter pictures of your local residents.

    We're suffering here with 60 degree mornings and 80 degree afternoons. Fortunately, the birds don't seem to mind!

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  10. Beautiful birds and deer. I love the hawk in flight!

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  11. I really like those Bluebirds Ken. The deer are very nice too.

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  12. As always a delight to be back here. Sorry I've been gone long enough, Ken. Good to know you are enjoying the matches, yet getting to see all the critters in all their glory.

    Happy Yuletide.

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  13. What amazing captures the Red Tail Hawk, Bluebirds and the Sunsets brilliant :-)

    Have a hawktastic week 👍

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  14. I always struggle with shots through the window as well but yours turned out well. Beautiful views you have there.

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  15. I could watch hawks for hours - they fascinate me.,
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/12/a-continuation-from-last-weeks-post.html

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