Taking time out to pose for my camera!
Late one autumn afternoon after sundown I noticed a small raptor from my
office window. The hawk had landed on a wooden box and at first sight I thought
it had sustained an injury to its beak. After grabbing my camera and quietly
slipping outside, I discovered that the hawk must have recently finished dinner
and still had some left-overs clinging to its beak.
When I brought the photos up on my monitor, I found that this hawk was a Sharp-shinned, which is one of the smallest hawks in North America. Males are smaller that females, so at first I thought this bird might be a male migrating southward for winter. However, as I looked closer, I decided that the hawk was an immature bird since it was mostly brown with vertical streaks on its white under-parts. Adult birds are blue-gray above with narrow, horizontal red-orange bars on the breast.
Backyard bird feeders tend to attract Sharp-shinned hawks and that is one reason why I prefer not to use the seed feeders. Instead, I grow plants and shrubs that produce seeds and berries, allowing the birds to forage. The shrubs provide cover where the songbirds and sparrows can retreat when predators are in the area. It is amazing to watch these small birds head for cover, almost like they are being vacuumed in.
The small hawk must have been traveling through for I did not notice him around the next day. It was a nice suprise to be rewarded with a short visit and a few photos.
What
an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love
it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get
treated to new experiences.
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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.
"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"
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