A couple weeks ago, Greg and I went on our first big outing in the new dogmobile, complete with The Boys in the back. We decided to head down to Elk City Reservoir to check out the hiking trails there.
The wonderful hike we had that day is fodder for another blog post, but we lucked out on the way there, too. We were just getting on to the Turnpike when I noticed a big nest in a cottonwood near the road and asked Greg to pull off so I could catch a photo or two. As we stopped, I thought I saw a head in the nest. Zooming in confirmed my sighting.
While I was taking a photo or two, the hawk on the nest stood up and started looking around....
At that point, I thought to take a shot with a wider view to document some of the surrounding landscape....
Suddenly, through the lens, I realized that a second hawk had swooped in to the nest. Hawk 1 flew off, as Hawk 2 flew in.
It didn't take much time at all for Hawk 2 to settle in; obviously this was a well rehearsed changing of the guard.
Hawk 1 flew off to a nearby tree and settled in for a break from nursery duties.
The excitement seemed to be over for the moment, so I got back in the car and we resumed our trip. Not bad, though, for a brief roadside stop!
That is very cool! We do have red tailed hawks, but I have never seen the nest, let alone the hawks in the nest.
ReplyDeleteWow. Great shots. What a nice little stop indeed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pleasure you had in witnessing such a beautiful feature in a majestic cottonwood. Love the texture of the trunk at this time of year. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBlessings.
Patrick
Jason, I'll bet you've got more hawk nests around than you realize. Just look for big bunches of sticks up in a tree, then look more closely at the ones with a flat top. In spring, an amazing number will have a hawk (or owl) head in them!
ReplyDeleteThanks, GonSS! It was a great stop - and a wonderful start to a great day overall.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patrick. I feel very lucky, both to have seen the hawk nest and (especially) to have been able to get photos that I could share!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to witness the Changing of the Guard! We see this often at the lake with the Osprey. We have been lucky enough to witness the parents bring a fish to the babys! Love nature in action...
ReplyDelete