Twice today we have looked out to see a small raptor hovering over the rocks round our inlet, just hanging in the breeze, watching the rocks for small prey.
Once we saw it fold its wings and plummet like a stone towards the rocks. It went below the balcony edge that defines the lower limit of our view from the 'desk' at home, and by the time we had rushed out to look, all we saw was a scattering of pigeons.
It came back later and hovered in exactly the same place.
Maybe it has a nest high on one of the apartment blocks around here.
Smart phone cameras were never designed to get good photos of hovering (or plummeting) small hawks/falcons, so you just have to imagine our view of it paragliding, riding the breeze that swoops up from the sea, flicking its tail and wings to maintain position and its view of the rocky beach.
It was very graceful in flight when it moved on.
We saw a few house martins and swifts a couple of days ago, but they haven't filled the air yet or perched in their dozens on the power line that swings across the front of our balcony (or inspected the corners of our balcony for nesting potential).
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| This is the look F does when peering at me over her glasses.... |
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteOh look at you getting all nature narrative - well done Tigger (and F)!!! Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx (who notes that the new comments box has caused your responses on my blog no longer reaching my email, so I don't always know you visited. It wasn't broken, so why did they think it needed fixing???!!!)
Y=Yamini
We sort of cheated; the post was in drafts and could have been any day. F worked her socks off this week and blogging got de-prioritized even tho I reminded her every day. We half composed a fiction, but after reading Nobby's blog and the idiot proof instructions for linking, we used the draft and some random photos instead. Completed Friday fiction might be in drafts by next month. Furrings and purrings Mr T
DeleteI hope that hawk is too small to catch Tiggers!
ReplyDeleteMuch too small fortunately. Sparrowhawk sized we guess.
DeleteWe can just imagine the small hawk paragliding and swooping. What a wonderful sight.
ReplyDeleteGail totally understands the problem of capturing shots of birds with a smartphone camera. But the poppies came out beautifully.
Happy Nature Friday!
Poppies don't move (much) and you don't have to sneak up on them.
Deleteyou look so pensive if the first two photo and i am wondering what you were thinking. you look majestic and proud in the last one against the sand and poppies.. You have great Bird TV Cat watching from your balcony
ReplyDeleteTigger is enjoying the flowers by the look of it, are they california poppies (as we call them here)
ReplyDelete