We are lucky to have plenty of wildlife in our neck of the woods.
This summer my friend Sandy and I have been walking every day. We see some lovely sights early in the mornings.
Last week we were treated to a flock of Canadian geese down in the hayfield. Surprisingly, they let me get quite close to take some pictures. Because we have a river running just below the farm we see quite a few qeese flying overhead. We hear them down by the river, but it's unusual to see a flock this close to the house. I've tried to get shots of them on the river, but they won't let me get close enough for a good one. Perhaps they felt there was safely in numbers this day.
For about 2 weeks now we've had a hawk sitting on the overhead wires above the meadow between our houses during the day. He seems to have claimed this area as his hunting ground.
I was lucky to catch him in flight in the previous picture.
He sits and watches us as we come back from our walk. He's not very afraid of us anymore and lets me get quite close for a picture. I've cropped these next few pics to give you a closer view. My little camera won't zoom in that close!
When he lands on the wire he flaps his wings about while trying to get his balance. He's not very graceful about it. I wonder if he'll gradually improve?
I think he's a young red-tailed hawk.
This is a crop of the picture of him in flight...to show you a little more detail.
His call is a high scream and he seems to do a lot of it. Sandy and I like to hear him, but Sandy's hubby is very irritated when he sometimes sits close to their house and does it continually. He goes out and yells at him...which Sandy finds quite amusing. Our hawk flies a little way off and begins his call again...just like an annoying child :)
I've just realized that I've been calling the hawk a "he", when it might very well be a "she"!
For about 2 weeks now we've had a hawk sitting on the overhead wires above the meadow between our houses during the day. He seems to have claimed this area as his hunting ground.
I was lucky to catch him in flight in the previous picture.
He sits and watches us as we come back from our walk. He's not very afraid of us anymore and lets me get quite close for a picture. I've cropped these next few pics to give you a closer view. My little camera won't zoom in that close!
When he lands on the wire he flaps his wings about while trying to get his balance. He's not very graceful about it. I wonder if he'll gradually improve?
I think he's a young red-tailed hawk.
This is a crop of the picture of him in flight...to show you a little more detail.
His call is a high scream and he seems to do a lot of it. Sandy and I like to hear him, but Sandy's hubby is very irritated when he sometimes sits close to their house and does it continually. He goes out and yells at him...which Sandy finds quite amusing. Our hawk flies a little way off and begins his call again...just like an annoying child :)
I've just realized that I've been calling the hawk a "he", when it might very well be a "she"!
who knows?
Blogger was very obliging tonight and let me post this picture of Annabelle and Madelaine!
Blogger was very obliging tonight and let me post this picture of Annabelle and Madelaine!
The kittens have made the barn their home so my gardens around the back door are saved!
I don't have as many photo opportunities of them as I did before, but I'm happy to see my gardens not being used as "jungles" to play in :) They can romp to their hearts content in and around the barn and not do any damage.
I don't have as many photo opportunities of them as I did before, but I'm happy to see my gardens not being used as "jungles" to play in :) They can romp to their hearts content in and around the barn and not do any damage.
20 comments:
Lovely photos! When you try to catch an unusual bird on your camera, it can make you quite unsatisfied that you havent got a lens the size of a paparazzi - but then most of the time it would be too clumsy. *sigh* its all too easy to be dissatisfied in life. But just to see these wonderful wild birds is privilege enough.
So lovely photos! And the birds for my husband, he is always looking for them!
Sigrun
You have some great photos here. What an eye you have. We have a lot of hawks and falcon's here, but I've never been able to get that close. A lot of Canada geese winter over down here, but they aren't here yet. During the winter the lake in the park is almost covered by them. And wow..what a noise they make.
Annabelle and Madelaine are beautiful tortiose shell kitties! What a nice shot of them. Is it Annabelle that is intensly guarding the other one? Such sweetness.
Thank you for sharing! I'll be back and visit again.
It is so strange to think that you are in summer, when here the winter is just coming to a close.
It is after midnight here, and quite chilly, and I've just had a marvellous walk through your bright colorful garden, thankyou, and the fences... LOVE the fences...
:-)
Della
Kerri, in some places Canada geese are becoming pests--just like deer. Beautiful and inconvenient. I'm not saying don't enjoy them, just don't do anything to encourage them, like feeding them.
We have a stream in back and ponds & lakes in the vicinity so we are always privileged to see ducks and geese flying overhead from one pond to another. I used to have a Canada goose named Honk as a pet...she was a wonderful pet who followed me everywhere.
As I was practicing my driving on my MC, I spotted a hawk lifting up a kitten from someone's paved driveway and flying off with it in it claws. I knew they hunted rabbits, but never thought that they grabbed tiny kittens.
So your Annabelle and Madelaine better stick together.
If your camera had a big telephoto lens, you wouldn't be carrying it on your morning walks...Your camera did a fine job of capturing pictures of the geese and hawk. My camera is so small I can carry it in my pocket and not notice that it's there...it has no zoom to speak of, so I must actually get within inches of butterflies to photograph them.
I was just going to tell you the story about the hawk grabbing a squirrel from our backyard. Then I saw Sandy's about the kitten. I had no clue they'd do that! I know I don't have to worry about them lugging Vincent off. They'd never get him off the ground :-)
Annabelle does look a bit on edge here! (Perhaps she saw the hawk nearby???)
Your photos were amazing, as always, dear Kerri :-)
xoxo
Wonderful photos of the hawk, Kerri, especially in flight. I love to see the birds with the sky and clouds in the background. It gives such a sense of freedom.
Free from all the cares of the world, just the need to eat and find shelter and a mate.
The geese in the paddock(field) were lovely - at first I thought they were hares with incredibly long ears!! (No, I haven't been drinking - it's only 8.30am and I won't start that for at least another 30 minutes...lol)
I see that wonderful stand of trees in the background which I know will be absolutely beautiful in the autumn(fall). Not that I'm wishing it on you too soon.
How many cats/kittens do you have now?
Great photos, Kerri, and stories too, especially the screaming bird. I love that shot of the kittens, but after reading about the hawk carrying a kitten off as prey, I'm a little worried for them.
You really do live in a beautiful area. Your gardens are absolutely lovely too:). I would love to live in an area like that. It makes me want to get horses again!
In my area, Canadian geese are so numerous that for the past two years the city has declared one "hunting day" each fall from 8am to noon to shoot them. It is a bit of a controversial decision, but they had to do something.
I do enjoy seeing them in the spring with all the little babies...they stop traffic by walking right across the street in many areas.
Love your hawk in flight pics!
Pretty little kitties. I hope the big hawk doesn't spy them. That would be a shame. I once spied a hawk in my next door neighbor's yard eating a bird it had caught on the fly. When it saw me watching it, the bird flew off and left its meal.
Love your pictures!!!
Such beautiful pictures and what great shots you got of the hawk! We get one here once in a while and all the other birds scurry for cover!! The kitties are so adorable and love the look on their faces! As for the Canada Geese, they land in the school field behind our house every so often:-) Take care dear Kerri! xoxo
We had sharp-shinned hawks nesting in an old cottonwood tree outside the bedroom window last year. What a racket! It was pretty cool, but, they ate all the songbirds and there were no robins to eat the saw fly larvae that clobbered the larch trees. Pretty soon we'll have the Canadian geese leaving for warmer weather. Brooke
Lovely wildlife pictures Kerri. You did well to get these shots. I’ve been trying to photograph a woodpecker that comes into our garden, but he keeps too much of a distance between us, so instead we simply enjoy watching him through binoculars.
Oh! those kitties are just adorable. Marion
A weird thing about your kittens names - I have a friend who gave birth to her first daughter last week. She was going to call her Madeline (not sure about the spelling) but changed her mind when the bub arrived - her name is now Annabelle!!
Loved all these photos, Kerri. How lucky for you to get visits from the geese. I love their honking and "haughty" way of walking. At the university where I worked a whole flock of them would regularly hold up traffic on campus, even the big buses. They'd take their time about crossing the road too!
You are so lucky to live with such stunning nature and wild birds around you Kerri. An your little kitties are kust the cutest. I love their colors!
The Hawk looks very much at home now in your area this may be the start of a family there too! how wonderful it is to have god's little creatures come into our world.
Kerri I was thinking about your lilies yesterday a beautiful little teapot arrived at the op-shop I work in as a donation and it is just the flower of a pink lily true! you and your garden came to mind the moment I unpacked it.
have a lovely week.
Kerri the bleeding heart seeds came thank you.You are kind remembering me in the hectic farm summer.The card was gorgeous.
it must be good luck to have a hawk watching you.The cats are so cute..
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