December 20, 2013

Waiting room activity

It is true: this is a bike blog, also true that I am not a particularly good birder. But, you are my only audience and so ... I sat in the 4th floor crowded waiting room of a building in a nearby city today, and while I was, well, waiting, through the corner of my eye I saw a flurry of violent commotion, perhaps 15 feet away.

Odd, it was outside the 4th floor window. Outside. No one else noticed, not even the people waiting 6 inches away, inside the window.

Being polite, quiet, and not wanting to disturb a somewhat stressed and crowded waiting room, I said nothing, didn't jump up or exclaim. But I did watch, as closely as I could. After what seemed perhaps 10 minutes, I left my seat and moved a few feet to stand and get a better angle. At that point I needed to tell the gentleman whose shoulder I was peering over, but he too stayed quiet, watching. Eventually a few others waiting noticed me, then noticed the activity, and I got out my camera.






The red tail hawk had caught a pigeon, landed on the window airconditioner, and de-feathering the bird bit by bit, ate lunch.



After a few minutes more, the hawk took notice of us, but understood he was safe and seemed not disturbed.




In my last post I promised you a few pictures from time to time, but didn't expect these.




14 comments:

  1. So cool. Heck with being calm. I'd alert the whole room and cause a ruckus! It's not everyday that you are privy to a hawk eating lunch.

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    1. Quiet and inobtrusive mostly because I was concerned that a lot of activity in the waiting room would scare the bird off, ruining its lunch, and also ruining my chance to be up close and personal with a redtail. I've never watched one from so nearby before. It was verrrry cool, for me.

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  2. Ah, nature, red in tooth and claw.

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    1. Indeed. I was more blown away by how close it was, though lunch was added interest! Remember the two I saw one spring? Now I try to keep my camera with me.

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  3. Hakuna matata. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi Aaron,
      Good to hear from you...and I learned your phrase hakuna matata by a google search. That red tail at that moment looked to have no worries indeed.

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  4. Sensational. You certainly managed to obey the injunction "Carpe diem." As did the hawk of course.

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    1. Thanks! Thought of you while I was there watching ... you would have loved it, I think.

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  5. That is amazing. You know, every once and a while, a hawk will float alongside of me while I ride. I'd like to think that he is simply enjoying a race, or maybe curious as to what the heck I am. But maybe he's planning something a little more sinister, like how best to defeather me!

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    1. Curious, I bet, but who knows? I'd love to take the "risk" of having a hawk float alongside ... but don't go out in pigeon costume for Halloween.....

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  6. A hawk hovers in air.
    Two white gulls float on the stream ..
    Soaring with the wind, it is easy
    To drop and seize
    Birds who foolishly drift with the current.
    --Tu Fu (713-770) ("Loneliness", Kenneth Rexroth translation)

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    1. Very nice addition, thanks for the comment.

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  7. I'm sure Tootlepedal is green with envy. You didn't even need a zoom lens to get those shots!

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    1. For a great photo, take a look at his site, here: http://tootlepedal.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/from-east-to-west/#comment-17796

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