More Birds

On a Lake Mountain ride, this pretty little hawk, a female kestrel, flew from tree to tree, keeping a close eye on us.  Kestrels make their nest in a tree cavity.  Perhaps she had a nest nearby.

While driving up to the Pigeon Water trailhead for another ride, Steve spotted a flicker flying away from a half-dead narrow leaf cottonwood.  We stopped for a look, and sure enough, we found a cavity in that tree, and baby birds inside. 

These were starting to grow feathers, so they were a little older than the buzzing babies in the nest we visited on Pole Mountain.  (These also buzzed when we knocked against the tree.) Since this cavity nest is so easy to reach, maybe we can follow up in a couple of weeks with another photo.

The flicker mama was anxiously waiting for us to leave, so we obliged.

Back at home, our hay was cut and baled last week.  Several field mice bit the dust in the cutting. 

I was looking out the window and saw a hawk on the ground picking at his lunch, probably one of those mice.  I'm guessing it's a Swainson's hawk, from the size and coloring.  Do you agree?

Oh, look, I see something else out in the field.  Another hawk?  Well, no, but it would probably enjoy a mouse just the same.