Gratuitous Animal Photo

Since my last two entries didn't have any animal photos in them, I thought I better add one quickly before someone could ask "Hey, where's the cute animal picture?" LOL!

Quick side note: I just went to Dictionary.com and I actually did spell gratuitous right! I kept looking at it and it just didn't look right... but it is.

This picture is of one of the red shoulder hawks that live here. Or at least that's what my friend who is into birds told me this was. I e-mailed her a pic and asked. LOL There are a lot of hawks in this area, but this fall I had what I assumed was a mated pair start hanging around over where the horses are. I would often see them in the trees or on the fence posts in the morning when I would go over... or at least hear them. Slowly they got used to me, and now I can get close enough to actually get a picture of them before the fly off. I am looking forward to the new lens so I can get some 'close-ups'.

Last week I thought the bird I saw looked smaller than normal, and I walked out into the pasture to discover that I now have four hawks living there. I have made the assumption (possibly incorrectly) that the two new smaller hawks are babies of the first pair. The two new animals seem to spend a lot more time 'skimming' the pastures and making landings that appear to be a little less graceful, almost as if they are practicing.

They are so beautiful in flight. I wish I had a way to get a clip of it for you, but my older point and shoot camera which had a 'movie' feature suddenly quit working last week. Eh! It was a 2.1 megapixel and was almost 5 years old. I was due to replace it. It was my first digital camera and it was getting a little outdated, but I still used it when I didn't want to lug the SLR out. There are times when you just want to be able to take quick and easy snapshots or need something that is easier to carry around. It was a small camera about the size of one of those disposable cameras..... I was just looking at (and drooling over) one of those cute, tiny, skinny digitals the other day, now I have a reason to ask for one.... Let's see... I have a birthday coming up in a few months LOL