It had to happen; the baby robins are adolescents, out playing their rock music or at least chirping every time something moves within fifty feet of them. I went out to take the daily picture on Monday, and they freaked out and flew out of the nest. I got a picture of one of the young ones on the sidewalk.
I don’t know whether it was the motion or the sound, but we got a visit from the neighborhood hawk. He swooped in and landed on a branch of the maple tree, pretty close to that robin on the sidewalk. Its parents started diving the hawk, and it flew off first to our walnut then to the top of the spruce. It was late evening, so I didn’t get very good pictures.
However, when I went outside Tuesday morning, the hawk was just hanging out on the lawn across the street. I got pretty close to him and took a lovely picture. (Then he flew into an oak tree and the robins started chasing him from tree to tree again).
I’m not expecting to get any more robin pictures this year, but I will post a gallery later so you can see the four little peepers and how they grew.
Beautiful hawk picture. Do you know what it is? It’s got feathers on the legs like a rough legged but the head is different.
The blackbirds are our hawk defense system here.
I think it’s a red-tailed hawk. A quick Google image search turns up some with the heavy feathering on the legs.
It’s rather amusing watching the various birds around here chasing each other. Sometimes, the crows will try to chase off the hawk — and the jays and robins and sparrows will gang up to chase off the crows.
Gorgeous hawk, Erin! That’s a fantastic pic of him.
Thank you! I was really pleased at how well it turned out; I just had to share.
Those babies are growing FAST!!!
Amazingly so, right? Puts my little girl getting out of kindergarten into perspective.