I had a recent incident at my home with a hawk that was very revealing for me.

I had just gone outside to get into my car when I heard a "whoosh".  I turned toward our sweet gum tree and saw a red tailed hawk chasing a winter fat squirrel up and down the tree while I watched about 10 feet away.  Amazing flight among all the branches from the top to the bottom of the tree whirling around the trunk!  Then it sat on a branch about 10 feet up seemingly uncaring that I was just 10 feet away.  When it seemed the squirrel had gotten away, it flew off about 100 yards away to a tree across the street.  Thinking everything was over, I was walking back into the house when all of a sudden I heard another 'whoosh' and I turned to see the hawk had sunk into a honeysuckle bush under the weight of the squirrel it just caught.  Apparently the hawk had in fact no given up but was lulling the squirrel into thinking so.   It remained this way for about 10 minutes.  I then worked its way up out of the branches and stayed on the bush for another couple minutes before flying off with it lunch with me watching and photographing all the while prehaps 20-25 feet away.  It landed in the school yard next door beside a pine tree and, while people were perhaps 25-30 feet away on the other side of the tree, it supped on the squirrel while keeping watch on the sounds coming from the other side of the tree.

I've never experienced anything like this before.  We have had a red tailed hawk visit our house a few times before, once taking a cardinal.  One other time I was working on my car and had just moved out from behind it when a hawk (the same one???) swooped through our yard and brushed against my shoulder.  I have posted some of my photos of the recent event on my Flickr page (flickr.com/photos/bugtrumpet).  In honor of the (for me) exciting event, I have named the day after Boxing Day (December 27) "Hawk Day".  :)

Tim


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