Second Encounter With the Rare Hybrid~

What a privilege to be able to view this beautiful Raptor once again!

I know that many people do not appreciate Raptors and yet, they are simply doing as nature intended them to do. We all live according to a food chain code, even those whom are vegetarians, live by a certain code, and the Raptors are doing what it is, in their code to do.

On February 18, I had my first encounter with this beautiful Red-Shouldered/Red-tailed hybrid. I am grateful to Pete Gustas, for suggesting to me that this may very well be a hybrid and then giving me the amazing news, that it was.

Any time that I can view a Raptor up close and personal, I am game, and now knowing the rarity of this particular hawk, gave me even more reason to seek it out. Last week, I drove the 30 to 45 minute drive 3 different times, and the husby went a fourth time as well.

On Friday morning, I decided at the first of dawn's light, that I would make the trek ...I was determined. It is a lovely ride too, as both Jefferson and Oldham counties have deemed this route as a scenic byway.

I had taken our German Shepherd with me and was giving her a bit of a walk about, when from the ground up flew the hawk into a nearby tree...whoosh, it took my breath away and I had to all but drag my poor dog back to the car, so that I could master a few captures before the hawk took off. I ended up feeling bad for hurrying Meaka up too, for as it turned out, the hawk hunted for nearly an hour and it was incredible just observing and snapping off a few pretty nice images.

It would fly from the lamp light and then back down onto it again, repositioning itself to look from a different vantage point. Then it would see something and fly to the same tree that I saw it in 3 weeks prior. I never saw it go to the ground again and was monitoring the dog who was upset about another pooch being in our area, and that quickly, lost the direction that the hawk flew away in... I have been back 3 more times since Friday, but no other sighting. It has such a nice large area to hunt from, and the territory it handles, is even greater.

My patience and perseverance has paid off a second time and it is such a wonderful opportunity to view this awesome looking bird so closely. At one point when it flew up to the lamp light, (I had moved my car so that the dog would not be able to see the invading pooch and do her barking routine...she thinks that she is a human being and that all dogs are her enemies!) and I could literally just place my camera on the window's edge and take photographs. Since the park is often crowded with people, this bird is not as wary as so many other hawks that I try to photograph. For a little while, I actually stood outside my car, until I became too chilled and had to retreat and the hawk would just glance my way and then go about it's day, even preening itself. I liked that this gave me a way to view it's wonderful feather colourations better too.

It shall become far more interesting as well, for in this same tree, an American Robin couple have claimed a branch and built themselves a very sturdy mud and grass nest...
oh my...

Another marvelous encounter, of a cherished moment in nature~

*Note...OK Phil and Gary...the pressure is off, at least for this week;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am also linking with World Bird Wednesday, please visit other birding photographers and enthusiasts from around the world at:

http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/