On a recent Sunday afternoon my Mom and Stepdad had come for a visit. We had sat in the rockers on the front porch and talked and caught up with all the news. As we sat there my stepdad noticed some turkeys in the front yard crossing our driveway. Hubs and I are used to seeing them and I knew the path they would take. They paid no mind to us as they made their daily path around the edge of the yard and underneath a nearby oak to eat some acorns.
After awhile we all moved inside to get some watermelon and something to drink. When we finished my Mom and I sat down on the couch in the living room and had only been talking a few minutes. I looked at her to say something and as she was sitting in line with the window I saw this hawk steady itself and land on an old tall tree stump at the edge of the front yard. I told my Mom to look at the hawk as I got up and ran for my camera. The photo isn't crisp because I was aiming through the living room window. I got two photos before he flew away. If you enlarge the photo and look closely he has his talons around a piece of bark for some reason.
I hear them a lot and see them overhead but this is the closest encounter I've had in my own yard. I think that old stump is going to stay in place for awhile!
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On a recent Sunday afternoon my Mom and Stepdad had come for a visit. We had sat in the rockers on the front porch and talked and caught up with all the news. As we sat there my stepdad noticed some turkeys in the front yard crossing our driveway. Hubs and I are used to seeing them and I knew the path they would take. They paid no mind to us as they made their daily path around the edge of the yard and underneath a nearby oak to eat some acorns.
I was startled to see this hawk and did not think I would be able to get him at all. After all I was stopped in the middle of the road and grabbing for my camera. I just have to live with the fact that he wanted to play peek-a-boo from behind that branch rather than pose for a really good portrait!
I'm enclosing this blurry one because I was amazed that as soon as I clicked my camera "Cooper" seemingly did a backflip off that branch to fly away.
It's really a good thing I'm surrounded by rural roads because I was stopped in the middle of the road when I took this one too. If you look closely or enlarge the image I think you can see his red tail.
I think he was more interested in the chickens in the yard below him than he was in me. I was able to get another shot of him in his lofty position.
For my critter post this week I chose to share some of my feathered friends I found lurking in the past week. You'll need to enlarge all of them for best viewing. When you've finished browsing here join Misty by clicking on the badge to see other Camera Critter posts. You never know what you'll see.
I wonder how cold it felt sitting on that metal in 25 degree weather yesterday!
The cardinals filling up before the storm.
I believe this is a Cooper's Hawk. As I was leaving one day I saw him in the branches and parked farther up the road and tried walking back. He was still a little too far for my zoom lens but enlarge and take a look.
The sun came out yesterday and I saw this guy's shadow in the snow as he flew over the bird feeder. I think he too is a Cooper's Hawk. Again, a little far but if you enlarge this you'll get a much better view. It was a joy to see him against a blue sky after the snow storm.