Since we are now well into Spring it might be a good time to start posting the rest of my images from this past Winter. The following were taken on the 30th of January on a day I had planned to try to photograph waterfowl. For reasons I don't fully understand the water levels were exceptionally high on that day and I wasn't able to approach the waters edge although there were a couple dozen mergansers in the area. Plan B was just to walk back toward the beach to see what else I might be able to find. At one point I noticed a hawk in the marsh apparently sitting on its prey. I went closer to investigate.
I tried to remain hidden behind a small grove of trees as I approached. When I finally got close enough to determine the species I realised it was an immature Goshawk with a Black Duck that it had apparently killed. I got excited because a Goshawk is a bird I've only photographed years ago during my film days.
The hawk soon became aware of my presence and flew up into the nearby trees. Not wanting to deprive the bird of it's meal but also not wanting to give up on a great opportunity to photograph it I moved farther away and made myself less obvious and waited....and waited. It took about an hour for the bird to return to the carcass.
Except for the sound of the camera shutter I believe the Goshawk was not aware of my presence. I believe as well because of the camera shutter the bird was nervous enough to try to move the carcass to a safer, less obvious location.
The Black Duck was too large for the hawk to move very far but it was a slightly less favourable location for my viewing purposes. I had to move slightly to get to a better vantage point without attracting its attention. It was not much later when I heard crows calling and getting closer. I watched the hawk get apprehensive and start to cover up it's prey with its wings.
At one point I guess the threat from the other birds became too much for the hawk and it flew away, leaving the carcass to be devoured by others. I took a few photos as the Goshawk flew off and when I returned my attention back to the carcass I wasn't ready for what I was about to see.
Not a group of crows but the subject of the crows attention - a Great Horned Owl. Like the hawk the owl was alerted to the sound of the camera and after looking around in all directions finally honed in on my location. When it didn't feel a threat it started feeding on the duck.
The owl had come from several hundred yards away, perhaps alerted by the hawks attempt to move the carcass. Several minutes later the owl decided to seek a more secluded location and flew off with the duck. As it flew off a second owl made a pass overhead and they flew off together.
It was only awhile later as I packed up to head back to the car I learned that the owl had only made it about a hundred yards back toward where it had come and was feeding in the long grass at the edge of a pond. It flew off when it saw me but I'm sure it returned later. I feel bad for the hawk that did all the work but wasn't rewarded with a full meal. I guess that's nature, not always fair and not always pretty.
