Saturday, October 30, 2010

Busy Sunday morning in my backyard.

My story starts last Sunday with waking up to a chattering noise outside my window. I nudge my half-asleep husband "Do you hear that? I think our kingfisher is back." I hadn't seen him since early last spring. He hangs out in our channel every winter. I got up and looked out the window and there he was, sitting on our dock.


I ran and got my camera and open the blinds. He flew over to our neighbor's dock. I didn't notice the hawk sitting behind him until a few minutes later. After I took the above picture he took off down the channel. I thought I had scared him in the window but then noticed the below flying down the channel towards our house.

Our resident osprey was back with breakfast and landed on our neighbor's sailboat mast.

I went out the side door to try and get some outside pictures and the above red bellied woodpecker was sitting in our tree on the side of our house. He didn't stay long when he saw me.

I walked around to the backyard and noticed the immature blue heron that's been hanging around lately. He was on our neighbor's dock and looking at something strange.

That's when I noticed the red shouldered hawk had moved to the dock as well. He and the little blue heron were sitting on the same dock.

The hawk saw something in the grass and flew down to get it. I think it was a small lizard. He's got something hanging out of his mouth.


When the hawk flew back on the dock it scared the heron and off he went across the channel.

While heading back into the house the above blue jay was in our orange tree.

When I got back inside the hawk flew across our yard and landed on our neighbor's lanai. He watched a squirrel for a few minutes, then took off. I took the above from the dining room window.

All of the above happened before I had even had my Cheerios. Then all of a sudden everyone was gone. So we packed up and headed to Fort Desoto for the day. More on that later.

4 comments:

  1. Wow! You got some great shots there. Is that the hawk in the background of the first shot? I feel the same thing on Sunday mornings when I sit out on the lanai having my coffee, I could hear a woodpecker in our grapefruit tree, then there was a squawking blue jay in out mango tree, an unusual squawk for them, then I heard a hawk very close and saw it fly over. It was like the jay was warning the others. Then later on you don't hear all that bird chatter. We had the hawk swoop in our backyard too and get something, a lizard or snake.

    I love your photos though. The blue jay has an interesting look almost questioning you!

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  2. I love looking at the variety of birds you have there. Best wishes from France.

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  3. Wow! Do you live in a bird sanctuary or something! This was amazing Also, I couldn't help but start to laugh around the middle of the post because it was beginning to sound a lot like If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Maybe you should write a book!...If You Give An Osprey A Fish, or If You Give A Hawk A Lizard...(although PETA may not like the last one...) Loved this post!

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  4. What a wonderful morning you had; you are so fortunate.

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