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Red-Shouldered Hawk
Greensboro NC
picture by Sheila Siler |
Friday morning I was sitting at my dining room table. It was very quiet in the house, everyone was gone. My dog lay at my feet and I was enjoying writing and catching up on some blog reading. I looked up and caught my breath. Directly in front of me, sitting on top of my bird feeder pole, was a most magnificent bird. It was huge and just sat there staring at me, only 15 feet away. I sat there almost holding my breath watching it. I knew I couldn't get to my camera in time, but I wondered if I could catch a picture with my phone (not a great camera, but better than nothing). I eased out of my seat and got my phone ready. Sure enough, as soon as I got to the door, the bird soared away.
I poured through the bird books (both my husband's grandmothers were window bird watchers and we had inherited their books). I couldn't decide if it was a hawk or a falcon. I had heard there was a hawk in the area, in a neighborhood a couple of miles over. I began to think I had imagined it.
Then this morning I pulled out of the carport and there it was! Sitting on the power line in front of the house. I stopped the car and started looking for the camera in my purse. The bird changed positions a couple of times, but then flew to the tree beside my driveway. I took pictures and here it is! I believe it is a Red-shouldered Hawk. It made my day to see this magnificent bird again, what a great way to start the week.Labels: bird watcher, hawk, red-shouldered hawk
