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Mr. Hawk Has Dinner 11/15/2011

Golf is a lot of walking, broken up by disappointment and bad arithmetic.

We Were On Eighteen When James Says "Lookie Lookie!"

Never knowing what to expect from James, we lookied and within ten feet of us was a hawk that just dined on a snowy white egret. Quite amazing

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
The time was 4:05 PM and the sun was setting so he was well hidden ... All we had was a point and shoot


We did not stay around too long

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
Not much left of the Egret

Did You Know? - In February 2005, the Canadian ornithologist Louis Lefebvre announced a method of measuring avian "IQ" in terms of their innovation in feeding habits. Hawks were named among the most intelligent birds based on his scale. Hawks are widely reputed to have visual acuity several times that of a normal human being. This is due to the many photoreceptors in the retina (up to 1,000,000 per square mm for Buteo, against 200,000 for humans), an exceptional number of nerves connecting these receptors to the brain, and an indented fovea, which magnifies the central portion of the visual field

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
The little devit stood his ground... Even with Sue, James, and Paul standing around him he would NOT leave his dinner

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
We got the evil eye

Did You Know? - The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound. At least, that’s what Hollywood directors seem to think. Whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, no matter what species, the shrill cry on the soundtrack is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
So, how did we know it was a hawk?

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
We checked against Wikipedia

Did You Know? - The oldest known Red-tailed Hawk was 28 years 10 months old.

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
The beak and the eyes plus feather markings gave it away

Did You Know? - Mammals make up the bulk of most Red-tailed Hawk meals. Frequent victims include voles, mice, wood rats, rabbits, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and ground squirrels. The hawks also eat birds, including pheasants, bobwhite, starlings, and blackbirds; as well as snakes and carrion. Individual prey items can weigh anywhere from less than an ounce to more than 5 pounds

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
Side view please

Did You Know? - Red-tailed Hawks are large, sharp-taloned birds that can be aggressive when defending nests or territories. They frequently chase off other hawks, eagles, and Great Horned Owls. Courting birds fly with legs hanging beneath them, or chase and swoop after each other, sometimes locking talons. Mated pairs typically stay together until one of the pair dies.

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
He was not about to move

Did You Know? - Adults make a hoarse, screaming kee-eeeee-arr. It lasts 2-3 seconds and is usually given while soaring. During courtship, they also make a shrill chwirk, sometimes giving several of these calls in a row.

Listen to the screach of a Red-tailed-Hawk

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
Looks like he was stuffing a pillow but alas.... It was an Egret

Hawk dining on Egret 18th hole of Old Ranch
Dinner is served


The next day we had lunch and the evidence was still there.... The hawk apparently flew the coup

Watch Mr. Red Tail have lunch at Old Ranch September 2012