Red-shouldered Hawk dines at our pond

On Thursday while recovering from being sick, I managed to get these photos. These photos were taken from inside so the glass quality is reduced a great deal. If you did not already know I use a 400mm f 5.6 "toy" lens. I read it was called a toy lens because a real lens would be a  400mm f2.8 lens and they cost around $8000 and are very heavy. My lens is a toy because it cost just over $1000 and it is light enough to carry around without a Sherpa or a tripod, yet it produces some really sharp images.

I've been seeing this Red-shouldered Hawk perched on the willows over the pond, usually if I move it flies away instantly. This day it had its prey locked in. Our feeders were still buzzing and there were two squirrels on the porch out in the open. Do the birds and squirrels know something we don't or just oblivious to this hawk.

The Red-shouldered Hawks diet consists of small mammals like voles, mice and chipmunks. They also eat amphibians and reptiles. They will eat birds at feeders, I think they can not chase birds as well as the Sharp-shinned or Coopers Hawks can.  Our cat does pretty well getting voles and mice, and I don't think we have chipmunks. The pond is full of frogs and painted turtles, so to a hawk like this it is a diner.

The hawk grabbed something.

Looks like a small frog to me, a quick snack for a large hawk like this one. We have been known to get Broad-winged Hawks here, they live on frogs practically. It a month the pond will be deafening with Spring Peepers and Upland Chorus Frogs calling by the thousands it sounds like.

I've got things to do, thanks for the snack!

Yes, Brown Creeper Photos!

Since Monday I have not been well. My body has not been able to regulate temperatures well, either cold and can't get warm or I break out in a sweat. Then there are the body aches and head aches.  Hoping today it'll be kicked. Yesterday I watched a Brown Creeper visit the suet many times on the big oak tree. It was 70 outside and I could have tried to get photos of the Brown Creeper, just could not find the energy.

Today I wanted to go to work until I broke out into a sweat, so I'm staying put. The creeper was lingering on the tree trunk below the suet, so I grabbed the camera and went out the door. It flew around the tree. I grabbed my coat and tried again, it let me take several flash photos this time! I was about as close as I can focus with my 400 mm f5.6 lens.

Here the Brown Creeper has its tail fanned out, you can see how stiff the tail feathers are. The tail feathers help it to walk up trees, just like woodpeckers.

Meg celebrated her birthday recently, now 107. Anyway I made her a bird feeder she could enjoy from her favorite chair in the living room.

This bird house is made entirely of cedar scraps I had left over from a big job I did. The odd support is attached to a deck railing post. The elongated hole is designed to lighten the load and cut back the wind load. I was thinking the birds might like it too.

This female Northern Cardinal seems to approve. Where did she get her nails done? This was taken from inside without flash.

The squirrels like the new bird feeder as well. They grab onto the support and slide back down it as I sanded it pretty smooth. They can just jump onto it if they like.

The first day the feeder was up it was visited by honey bees, 4-6 at a time, it was a warm day. I saw bees yesterday when it was warm as well. I looked this up and found that bees can emerge early and without any nectar sources they will seek secondary nectar sources which can be found in bird feed.