(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ google_ad_client: "ca-pub-1163816206856645", enable_page_level_ads: true }); Northview Diary: A Kettle of Hawks

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

A Kettle of Hawks

Some Canada Geese up at Montezuma

I was hanging up laundry when the boss brought Mack out for a visit. He was racing up and down the lawn between us when I heard the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk, quite close.

I looked up to see if there was danger. Big hawk. Very small dog.

Far, far up in the sky, as far as I could see with naked eye, was a large swirl of some kind of raptor. I watched for a while and then pointed them out to the boss. Wings looked too short for vultures, but they were way higher than you normally see hawks...eagle height at least.

Then they drifted a little lower and I could pick out light-colored breasts and a definite buteo shape. 

A little lower still and a Red-tailed appeared out of the group.

By definition a kettle is something over a dozen hawks. Since there were at least thirty, and probably more like forty, I'd say we had us a kettle.

They may or may not have all been Red-tails, but whatever they were, they are a landmark for me. I have never seen such a grouping, or indeed any flock of migrating hawks, here at the farm ever....and I am always looking up.

However, thanks to Murphy and his infallible little law, I never see anything that cool when walking with camera and binoculars and deliberately birding. Nope, it's a laundry hanging sort of phenomenon.

5 comments:

Cathy said...

Oh you've got that Murphy thing so right!
If I want to have some really phenomenal sighting - I leave the camera behind :)

jan said...

I learned long ago that the camera is not my friend, but I love the pictures that those of you post and the pictures that you only describe.

Charlie's Girl said...

Babies and puppies....what could be better? Thanks for all your posts from home. Love your blog, writings and great pics.

Terry and Linda said...

WOW! I have never seen a kettle either. HOw cool is that! Of course I would not have my camera either. I'm glad the puppy is safe...those could have been hungry birds of a feather.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

threecollie said...

Cathy, it is almost a joke around here. If I go out on the porch to water plants, exciting little brown birds flit through every bush and tree. Go in for the binoculars....going, going, gone. Every single time. Oh, well...

Jan, I love the darned thing...can't seem to go anywhere without it. Except when there are good birds to be seen. lol

Patricia, thank you so much and thanks for stopping by. We do have a good time! lol

Linda, I was thrilled. I probably should have run inside for the binoculars, but they were drifting away pretty quickly. I will certainly keep looking up this week though!