Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Red-shouldered beauty in winter...

When winter has drained the color from the trees, and gray settles in like it owns the place, our Red-shouldered Hawk is conspicuously beautiful. His red shoulders and the strong contrast between the black and white stripes in his tail feathers pop in the landscape...

A Red-shouldered Hawk takes flight from a young oak tree in our backyard.

This is the first time I've seen our Red-shouldered Hawk perch in the young oak tree. It started as a sapling about 10 years ago and has been growing quietly ever since. It finally caught Big Red's eye. Our little oakling is growing up.

Even from behind, and at a distance, a Red-shouldered Hawk is gorgeous and stops you in your tracks.

5 comments:

Mary said...

Beautiful bird! Love the flight shot and I'm amazed when they sit at the very top of a tree like that. Can't be comfortable. I think they are one of the prettiest hawks with their coloration.

FAB said...

Definitely a 'looker'. Lovely shots of your winter visitor.

Roy said...

Love Red-shouldereds. We have at least one in the Dykeman Spring wetland area, but I hear it more often than see it.

Janice K said...

He is so pretty!

Kelly said...

@Mary - I think so too, Mary! Thank you!

@Frank - Thanks, Frank! :-)

@Roy - We have had one visiting our backyard since about 2009. I always love when he shows up!

@Janice - I agree, Janice! :-)