Tension in the Air
If the park could emote feelings, I would say that there was an anxiousness about Lakeside Park this morning, a tension in the air. The Canada geese who normally greet me at the main seated area all took to flight and left the park. Everything was listening and looking and waiting, as if in suspense of something.
And there it was, a large hawk broke cover to my left and flew across that side of the lake. The great blue heron let out a fearful shriek, as the hawk flew past the heron's favorite willow tree. Camera in one hand, and steering my bike with the other, I gave chase, but there was no sign of the hawk. I chained my bike out of sight and took to the undergrowth. The mood had not lifted, I knew the hawk was still around. I listened and then followed the complaints of the local birds. They were concentrated at the edge of the trail beside the turtle nesting area, but where was the hawk? No sooner had I asked than it landed directly above me, a large juvenile red-tailed hawk. Way too close for me to focus on what would have only been its underside. Thankfully it was eventually persuaded to move by the complaining birds and landed in the top of the tall fir trees behind the turtle nesting area:
Everything eventually settled down and I went about my usual routine, snagging another catbird photo:
Shortly after this photo, the warning calls sounded again, and over me flew the red-tailed hawk, back to the fir trees. It was almost time for me to leave, but not before taking one more photo of this magnificent hawk:
Copyright © wildlakeside.blogpot.com 2019 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.
And there it was, a large hawk broke cover to my left and flew across that side of the lake. The great blue heron let out a fearful shriek, as the hawk flew past the heron's favorite willow tree. Camera in one hand, and steering my bike with the other, I gave chase, but there was no sign of the hawk. I chained my bike out of sight and took to the undergrowth. The mood had not lifted, I knew the hawk was still around. I listened and then followed the complaints of the local birds. They were concentrated at the edge of the trail beside the turtle nesting area, but where was the hawk? No sooner had I asked than it landed directly above me, a large juvenile red-tailed hawk. Way too close for me to focus on what would have only been its underside. Thankfully it was eventually persuaded to move by the complaining birds and landed in the top of the tall fir trees behind the turtle nesting area:
The survival tactic employed by the neighborhood birds was to let the hawk know that it had been sighted and to let everyone else know where it was. With so many eyes watching, the chances of not being its prey, rose. The red-tailed hawk decided it should move and took off to the far side of the lake:
Shortly after this photo, the warning calls sounded again, and over me flew the red-tailed hawk, back to the fir trees. It was almost time for me to leave, but not before taking one more photo of this magnificent hawk:
Copyright © wildlakeside.blogpot.com 2019 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.
thank you for sharing your hawk adventure - I get the overflow from the park and often have them call to me from the neighbour's tree.
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