Tuesday, October 14, 2008

coolest.thing.ever.

We took our kitties to get their shots today. Sprocket got his ego stroked so badly by the vet, according to her Rocket was "muscular, handsome, beautiful hair, teeth, and tail, etc." He liked that, until she stabbed him with a thermometer in the butt and rabies shots in his skin--then he hissed and was completely fowl. Rio was her usually petrified self.

ANYWAY, coolest thing ever happened when we roll up to our parking space.

K: What kind of bird is THAT?!
R: What bird?
K: Right there.... *points out window*
R: OH MY GOD! That's a hawk... with a pigeon! WHY DON'T I HAVE MY CAMERA!?!?!

It was a hawk (cooper's? I'm so sad I'm not from here. I don't even know the native hawks! I miss knowing most of the bird friends!) eating his newly caught pigeon right infront of our door. I mean, he was like... 2 feet away from us.... just chowing down.

I realize I shouldn't be this excited given I've held and fed a bunch of hawks on a regular basis... but it is so much better in nature! This makes me want to go birding more--put my $350 binoculars to good use.

So the pictures I did get:



To illustrate proximity. Kevin's car is the silver one in the center of the picture. The white things are feathers from the pigeon.


Close up of the feathers and the little bit of flesh.


The culprit high in the tree nearby. He flew off (with the pigeon) once I opened my door and got out.



Here he is again. Looking at me.


And again, he had dropped the pigeon on the ground by this point.


Thinking about going down to pick it up.


There is the half-eaten pigeon.

So. Cool.

--R.

1 comment:

The Fab Miss B said...

You would love it out here on the ranch- there are so many beautiful birds everywhere. I bought a book, but I'm not very practiced at identifying them yet.