Sunday, March 1, 2009

Hawk Update

Lucky day! I was able to get a better shot of the hawk that inhabits our lower woods. It seems to be a Coopers hawk, and a rather large one at that.

I have mixed feelings about hawks. They are powerful and beautiful creatures, but I hate the losses they cause among the songbirds.

There is a red tailed hawk that lives in the back woods, too, and between the two of them they are picking off quite a few smaller birds. It is common to find a circle of dove feathers in the fields, and yesterday I found most of a blue jay wing in the back yard.

Still. It is a thrill to see these big guys fly, kings of their domain.

6 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Beautiful photos! I feel the same way about the hawks, they're so beautiful, but I hate to see other lovely birds ending up on the hawks dinner plate. Thanks for the photos, nice to see you back online!

Anonymous said...

I am awful at hawk ID..it is beautiful. I have come to terms with the sharpie and coopers here. I am sorry that it took a Jay though. I wish they would eat more starlings and house sparrows, but it is usually a mourning dove.... Michelle

spookydragonfly said...

Beautiful captures! I feel the same way about the hawks. They are amazing to watch soar in the sky!

Anonymous said...

I love raptors. They're so gorgeous. If you're saddened by the small bird eating, think about it this way, it's been going on for thousands of years and we still have songbirds. You can always put out feeders to keep the small bird populations up.

Deb said...

You can see the power of the hawks via your photos. I love to watch them soar so effortlessly!

Lori @ Purple Snapdragons said...

Your photos are beautiful as always. I tried to post a comment on your b&w fence photo, but blogger must be being fussy and wouldn't let me, so I'll write it here. Loved that photo. Seems like such a serene place - and reminds me of Monet's The Magpie painting which is one of my favorites. Thinking maybe you should consider becoming a professional photographer....I'm sure it would be much more fun than working for someone else, you can make your own hours and all that good stuff! Have a good day!!!