Hawk's Dinner

Back on September 11, I looked up from my chair by the kitchen fireside in time to see the local hawk had landed on the back wall just outside the kitchen bay windows. I grabbed the camera and snapped this picture through the glass door. He flew off before I could head outside to try to get better shots. But you regular readers know how giddy I get over the hawk and his machinations.

It's not that I do not love my birds that are attracted to the feeders around the house. The hawk, though, tends to put on a much better show than they do.

Cyprus and I were just headed out for a walk on a recent Saturday and it coincided with catching sight of the friendly neighborhood hawk swooping up out of the yard with what appeared to be a mourning dove in his talons. I love this, because it always thrills me to see the hawk in action, and I hate mourning doves.

As Cyprus and I were circling back home, we spotted where the hawk had taken his meal: behind my neighbor Adam's house, which is across the street from the Roediger House. I dropped Cyprus off and grabbed the telephoto for my camera and went back in hopes of capturing a shot or two.

Which I did, until a resident of (or visitor to) the house nearby drove up and scared the hawk away. He flew with dinner in hand/claw, though.

Update: A few days after this, looking out the kitchen bay windows, I caught sight of the hawk crashing into another mourning dove, with a burst and flurry of feathers. This occurred in the gravel parking lot on the north side of the house. It scooped up its meal and flew off pretty quickly.