This Rough-legged Hawk swooped down in front of my truck window. He then flew down the road in front of me for about 50 yards before pulling up and perching on a large tree limb that stretched out over the road.
Rough-legged Hawk - Dive Take-off - Amherst Island
Posted:
February 4, 2012
I think this Rough-legged Hawk was annoyed that I was pointing my lens at him. When he took off, he dove downward about 8 to 10 feet to get airspeed and then leveled off as he flew away.
We saw 7 different Snowy Owls (3 males and 4 females) during our 3 days on Amherst Island. Unfortunately all but this one were too far away for photos. They were spread out all over the 4 x 12 mile island. There is no snow on the ground with the mild winter, so the rodent hunting is excellent across the entire island which is mostly cattle grazing land.
I took a trip to Amherst Island, Ontario again this year with my birding friend Jeff. We couldn't resist another visit to the Chickadees in Owl Woods. They were just as bold and friendly as last year.
Within the next few weeks, I hope we will be hearing the Red Fox pair running around through the woods and fields yelping as they go. That is their typical courtship behavior. They usually mate by mid-February and the kits are born 52 days later in early April. Photo taken from my blind in May 2010.
To get this shot, I was in my blind last January in the middle of a 50 acre cornfield, lying on my belly in 18 inches of snow. The Snow Bunting flock would come by that section of manure spread about every 20 minutes. I had been there for an hour, my hands and feet were numb in zero degree and 20 MPH breeze. This gal looks toasty warm. Guess I needed a set of arctic feathers.
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