We often see Red-tailed Hawks in our area and they are an awesome sight as they soar high above us. If you listen carefully, their call can be heard from very far away because it is so distinct. Try clicking the photos to see them larger.
This particular hawk landed in a little stream area at the flower farm. You can’t see the little bit of creek in this photo where he is sitting at the water’s edge. He had swooped down over our heads and we thought for sure he was after his prey but he landed and sat for a few minutes which allowed us to take a few photos. My boys commented that he was a lot bigger than they thought and he was a big guy. I looked it up when we got home and our field guide says they are around 22 inches with a wingspan of 52 inches and weigh around 45 ounces.
He waddled through the tall grasses and up into the near-by parking lot and we were able to really see his red tail feathers. He turned his head and gave us his best “hawk eye” and then he flew off.
Off he goes!
For more information on these gorgeous birds, I highly recommend the AllAboutBirds.com article. This page has inspired me to try sketching the Red-tailed Hawk in my nature journal, Naturalist’s Notebook, although my sketch will be a far cry from this piece of art. 🙂
He’s a beauty! I love these guys, but haven’t been this close to one that I can remember.
Rhonda @ Preparation Education
Lovely!! I really need to go somewhere to spot things other than turtles, sharks and gators LOL
Fabulous! They migrate through the Keys and we see tons and tons of them spiraling on thermals and, of course, sitting on wires. 🙂
S/V Mari Hal-O Jen….Until I did research on the red-tail I didn’t realize they were so widespread. It surprises me to hear that they live in the Keys for some reason. They sit on wires and fences and poles here too. When we drive along, I am always spotting a variety of hawks perched just waiting. They must be very patient birds. 🙂
Thanks for all the comments this morning.
Barb