It has never been my intention to have a bird and weather report blog. Sometimes, things take a turn where they were not intended. Not as frequent as times in the past, I used to get in my car, head out down the street in one direction with no where in particular in mind. It was one of those car conversations that I have from time to time with the Head Navigator Upstairs. It was like my car knew where to go from then on. All I did was to hold on to the steering wheel and go with the flow. Some of my best images have come out of my camera with days like that. Although I don't have as many of them as I did years ago, I still have that conversation with the Navigator now and then, especially if I've had a dry run on material. So, maybe there is something to us being in a Hologram.
Today, was the first time this winter that I have had to use my sunglasses. The angle of the sun is coming into play once again as the sun angle becomes more high and more intense. I tried to drive without them but the Navigator basically was telling me today that I wasn't getting any help from upstairs and I reached for the shades and put them on for the first time this year. I've had so much cabin fever this winter with the gloom and doom of low clouds and grey skies. These past five days of 70 plus and sunshine has been a welcome sight to me. Talk about feeling better. I fell energized again. It actually hit 80 today and I was prepared for it when I left the house. In fact, for a brief time, the AC in the car was running and it rather felt good, too!
So, I started out today on high ground overlooking the lake and trying to get a fix on the pelicans and the any of the hawk families that live at the lake. As I made my rounds, there just was nothing happening. In fact, there wasn't any bird watchers and I only saw one photographer making his way around the dam and spillway area. So, back to square one, I made the run around the marinas and just parked and set listening to Saint Saens Organ Symphony No 3 on WRR.Then, out the corner of my eye, I see these two big birds sitting near the top of a large Cypress tree overlooking the lake. They were a pair of Red Shoulder hawks that I normally see a bit farther around the lake. As I got closer and the clicking of the shutter spooked the female, she flew off behind me into a thicket of big tulip and oaks. Then, the male followed. One thing about hawks, they fly a triangle to their nest site, never going directly. You just have to watch and wait for the second leg of the triangle to be complete. Bingo! there's the nest! And, the male. I'm not sure where the female had landed. The male was standing watch in all his glory. What a sight.
Just as I headed out for home, I got side tracked with the 20th Century Film crew and their encampment for filming Queen of the South, season 2. They set up in a area that gave them more parking and more room for the big mess tent but I could have missed it had I not waited on the hawks to settle down again.
 |
| Pair of Red Shoulder Hawks |
 |
| Near the nest site |
 |
| Little song birds were having a practice |
