For the past few summers, we have had hawks nesting in or very near our backyard. Their arrival is usually marked by the swift absence of songbirds from our feeders. They arrived a bit later this year, and I think that they have nested a bit farther afield than in previous summers. We have not seen them, or heard them, nearly as much. This could also be due to the fact that with the very warm weather, we have either had a fan propped in the sliding door to the deck, or that we've had it closed altogether and the room air-conditioner turned on. In any case - not as many sightings this year.
I missed a golden photo opportunity the other morning as one of the fledglings sat on the rail of our deck in a head-to-head confrontation with a squirrel. Of course - my camera battery was charging following our several day Finger Lakes trip - I couldn't believe it! Bruce did capture some of it on his cell-phone and I will check out later if any of those photos captured the hilarity of the scene.
I have managed to catch a few ~ and here they are:
I took the next three through the screened window, fearful of scaring her (him?) off by opening the sliding door.
This last one was after I snuck out as quietly as I could. While it looks as though the bird may be injured, we observed this same kind of "sprawled out" pose in years' past. It was a very warm day, and I wonder if it is just a way of spreading out to stay cool. Other summers we have seen them sprawled flat on the grass.
And then, of course, she flew the coop - so to speak!
