Today marks a whole years worth of photoblog entries. It wasn't a calendar year but a photographer's leap year. Three hundred and sixty- six blog entries. None of this would have been possible without God or the support of my family. I want to thank them for all the little and big things they do for me.
Today was an incredible day both in experience and creating photos. I dropped off Annika and then went for a workout at the gym. When I came out of the gym the fog was clearing so I thought I'm going to go photograph Bluebirds this morning and then go grocery shopping afterwards. I never did make it grocery shopping.
The bluebird photography went well with the bluebirds boldly going after the mealworms I put out for them. They now know that my presence means food. As I was photographing I kept noticing there were a lot of vultures in the field next to the pasture. One of them was drying its wings while roosting on a fence post. I decided to see how close I could get to it before it took off. I worked my way closer and closer to it across the pasture until I was about fory feet from it. Then the mare and the colt came over to me to see what was going on as horses often do. The colt was really interested and edged nervously towards me until he was about three feet away. The mare then walked around me and the vulture took off. I walked back to my pick up and started off home.
I didn't make it very far. I stopped next to field where the vultures had been. I spied the head of a hawk sticking up out of the grass. The hawk took off and landed on a fence post ahead of me down the road.It was a Redtail Hawk! I pulled along side it and took some photographs of it. While I was watching it a Red Shouldered Hawk swooped down and slammed into the back of its head knocking it head first off of the post into the weeds!!! I was totallly shocked. I thought it was dead but it groggily got to its feet and finally managed to stand in the weeds next to the fence. It didn't seem to be in very good shape. I slowly slid a kayak oar under its talons and lifted it carefully upward. It was really cool! It spread its wings and opened its beak and looked at me as I lifted it back up to the fence post. It seemed a bit more composed by the time I finally left. Hopefully the Red Shouldered Hawks don't kill it. I'm going to check on it this evening.
It has been a good year and a great day.
God's love and blessings to everyone,
chris
I checked late this afterboon and it was gone.
Now that would have been an incredible action shot.
ReplyDeleteI should say so. I just looked up from the camera at the hawk for just a second. You could hear the impact when the red Shouldered hit him. The poor redtail just did a face plant and didn't move. He was out cold. I really thought he was dead!
ReplyDelete