Andy Moore recently spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree.
Perhaps the red-tail was enjoying the sunny weather!
Thanks for Andy for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
While we "ooh and aah" over the two mature Bald Eagles seen at the mouth of the Gualala River nearly every day, there are other birds to admire. Andi Kahn recently photographed a Black Phoebe.
Black Phoebes make short flights to catch their favorite food - insects. They have a high-pitched call, which you can listen to here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe/sounds
Andi also photographed a Red-tailed Hawk resting in a tree.
Thanks to Andi for allowing me to share her photos with you here.
Mark Ricci noticed the big hawk land on a wire.
Then the Red-tailed Hawk spotted something, something tasty to eat!
The hawk swooped down and nabbed this rodent.
It ate the rodent, tossed away the fur, and then returned to the wire to look for its next meal.
To hear the screaming calls of these hawks, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. They even have a recording of an 11 day old chick. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds
Thanks to Mark for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
I'll let Anne Mary Schaefer tell the story. She wrote,
“I was just feeding my wee beasties Friday evening when I heard her high hunting keening cry, and saw that the sun was about to set. I grabbed my camera and ran outside, scanning the western sky over Manchester State Beach campground. Nada.
“I was just about to go inside when she came swooping right over my head, turned on her wing, and the last sunlight hit her breast. She disappeared into a tree top, where a whole flock of little birds were quite indignant at being suddenly ousted.”
Isn't this a glorious photo? I thank Anne Mary for allowing me to share it with you here.
To hear the calls of a Red-tailed Hawk, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds
Red-tailed Hawks are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. When the sun hits their tail just right you can see why they got their name. Craig Tooley captured the moment this Red-tail took flight.
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share this photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com