Saturday, May 7, 2016

VISITORS TO "THE POND"

Our birdbath/drinking fountain continues to be an attraction to the many avian residents of the neighborhood.

The other day I caught the Rufous Sided Towhee taking a dip.


A while back a big black raven strutted over and hopped up on the rim and took a drink but I was too slow with the camera to get a shot of him.

But late this week I was in the kitchen when Judy called out to look at the birdbath.

I hurried to my den, took a peek and grabbed the camera to get this photo.


That's no sparrow, Gentle Readers.

That is a Cooper's Hawk.


Posing majestically he stayed for only a few seconds once I had my camera in hand but it was a thrilling few seconds.

Lori Down the Street has had a hawk at her fountain but this was a first for me.

7 comments:

  1. Yours is a juvenile. An adult has a rose and ivory striped breast and bluish grey wings. I think the one I had last July was a juvenile also. I'm surprised that it is a lone bird. At the Prescott Country Club, they traveled in a pack of 6, terrorizing small dogs. I kid you not! There's some small dogs I'd like terrorized here . . .

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  2. Great shot of the Hawk. Your fountain must be getting rave reviews on Birdland Yelp!

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  3. Cool. I have a friend who had hawks nesting in her back yard. They couldn't go out there most of the summer. Even so, she was in awe, if rather glad they didn't return the next year.

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  4. We had a hawk here last Saturday. It killed a chicken, but didn't get away with it. The chicken was still kicking when my husband found it, right after seeing our barking dog running toward it, then the shadow of the hawk on the ground as it took flight.

    This afternoon, I saw a pair of hawks circling over our barn field and that of the neighbor. This is why we are keeping our new puppy put up in a rabbit hutch when we're not in the yard. Nature is a harsh taskmistress.

    Maybe today's hawks were just looking for a birdbath...

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  5. Amazing birds those hawks. I'll bet this guy keeps the sparrow population down.

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  6. How great that you were able to get a photo of a hawk. Exciting.

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