My encounter with birds, I love Birds

[MagickMuffin]

Hawks have always made me feel good inside whenever I encounter one. Friday we had to take our truck in for repairs, I followed behind in my car. When we got there of course there was the waiting game. I usually take my camera everywhere I go just in case there is something interesting for me to take a pic. As hubby waited I decided to walk around the abandoned WalMart parking lot.
Just as I was walking a huge Hawk landed on a one of the parking lights, I approached slowly so I could snap his pic. I managed to snap a couple while getting closer. He noticed me and flew off to another light post, I continued you creep up on him to try and snap some more pics. Once again he noticed me and flew off to an even further post. I got only a few pics, but it was incredible to see him that close.

Now for my other bird story. We have what a believe to be a Wren that has been flying around our deck. I noticed it also had some food in her mouth, but couldn't determine where the nest was. Then one day I noticed it was flying to a box of Plant Food we have stored on some shelves. Hubby thought the nest was somewhere behind the shelves. But I thought it was inside the box of Plant Food. I then started noticing that indeed I could hear the tiny chirping coming from within the box. Then I started observing the mama bird actually entering the box. I just hope the little birdies will be okay living in that environment.

I'm pretty sure there are other birdie nest that I don't know about Blue Jays, Doves, and another favorite Cardinals. I was so hoping the Cardinals would build their nest where they had it last year. In a little twig birdhouse we have hanging in front of our kitchen window, but alas I guess it is not meant to be. After last years near tragedy perhaps they thought best of using the same location. One of their babies fell from the nest, I thought a cat had gotten it, it was late at night and I heard a commotion on the deck, went out to investigate and found little baby had fallen out of the nest and bonged his head pretty severally. Hubby put it back in the nest, but little birdie had problems trying to learn to fly.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Hawk is a messenger in the Lakota tradition

If you see Hawk, think about what you were saying or thinking at the time--Hawk verifies it. You place a hawk feather over the main door to your house for protection. Eagle has very powerful medicine, and to see one, especially up close, is strong verification and a blessing.

[MagickMuffin]

3. Wish I had a Hawk feather, I'd probably take it with me everywhere I go

Can't have to much protection.

I saw another one today while on our way to picking up brick from a Craigslist ad (finally got the last of them today, this was our 3rd trip). At first I thought it was going to fly right into the cars on the highway. But he swooped up to the highway sign.

There used to be a lot of Red Tail Hawks around here, however, I haven't seen that many in a long long time. Perhaps they just prefer the country life as compared to city life :shrug:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Hawk may gift you with one

that is how we got our feathers.

[MagickMuffin]

10. I would definitely accept such an honor if a Hawk gifted me one

However, I don't get enough hiking these days, and not sure where they could find me. But I'm always on the lookout for feathers.

[MorningGlow]

2. I love birds too

I'm air magic, so they're near and dear to my heart, especially hawks, falcons, etc. Hawks are a totem animal for me. We live under a main "thermal highway" that hawks travel on their way to Canada, so we get to see lots of them in the spring. They always seem to show up during important times in my life. I remember once I was leaving a job interview, going back to my old job after a lunchtime meeting at what would soon be my new job. I was very excited to be leaving advertising (ewwww), but of course I was concerned that I was doing the right thing. I went back to my old job on a road I don't normally take, and when I crested a tall hill, I saw a large shadow on my windshield, and suddenly an enormous hawk landed in the road, in front of my car! He was far enough ahead of me that I could brake without being afraid that I was going to hit him. The road was deserted, so I stopped the car in the middle of the road and we just sat there, looking at one another for a while, till he flew away. I knew he was telling me I was taking the correct path in life. Magical creatures...

[MagickMuffin]

4. Magickal Indeed

I loves me some Hawks. They are majestic and so graceful, yet very powerful.

I loved your story of being able to stop and observe one another.

[Celebration]

6. Can you give us your picture?

Since I got my new camera, I've been noticing birds a lot more, and all of a sudden they really do seem connected to dinosaurs. Robins are the only ones that seem to pose. I would love to snap a picture of a hawk.

Ok, even though we live in the middle of the city, practically, our neighbors had a rooster. It was somewhat annoying in the morning. However, it met its demise when they let him out of the roost for an afternoon, and a hawk got it! Now that I look UP more I do see huge hawks in the sky. I never see them land in trees in the neighborhood, though.

I spent an entire afternoon at the river attempting to get pictures of seagulls in flight. I am now familiar with just about every variation of flap. Funny how taking pictures makes you notice the world a lot more closely.

[MagickMuffin]

7. Here's my pics

The bottom one came out rather fuzzy, since I was trying to catch him flying away.

I love my Cybershot, however it doesn't take really that good of pics of far away objects.

[Celebration]

8. Thanks

I like the light pole pictures! I'm glad you had a camera with you. I have a little Kodak pocket camera that I love, but it didn't take the far away stuff well, and then I upgraded to a Canon Powershot that goes to 20x, so I can get pictures of birds at the river.

So far, I haven't gotten any pictures of hawks, though.

[MagickMuffin]

11. Maybe in the near future I can upgrade to a better camera

My Sony Cybershot takes pretty decent pics, but it would be really nice to have an even better camera. We did have one of the Sony high end ($1000) cameras we took to an event we did the graphics for, but we had to return it. We just couldn't afford it. But it took really excellent pics.

Here's an example of one of the pics from the event. We did the graphics for the booths.

[omega minimo]

9. Hawks are a blessing. Another is a mockingbird family nesting in my neighborhood

One is building a nest in an orange tree that each generation returns to... another sings amazing beauty in the back yard at all times of day. I listen to the repertoire and hear familiar imitations, with a new one. This mockingbird is imitating a crow! and then seques into the kildeer...

[MagickMuffin]

12. Yes, Hawks are a Blessing.

We too have Mockingbirds, it's our state (Texas) bird. So, there are plenty of them around here. I also forgot to mention the Robins and Crows. We have a hodgepodge of birdies here.

[northernlights]

13. I had major bird encounters when I moved here

When we were building my barn, 4 pairs of hawks appeared and circled directly overhead. They dropped down much closer, until we could clearly that one pair was actually bald eagles and 3 were hawks. After circling very low several times, they peeled off in the 4 cardinal directions and left.

One evening at dusk a barn owl sat on the fence post about 15 feet from where we were working. One guy had his digital camera with him and took several shots. I slipped up to the house and got my camera. When I returned, the owl sat quietly and let me take pictures as I approached. I was within touching distance with the last pictures. The pix themselves came out wonderfully. Behind the owl, who almost filled the frame, is a midnight blue sky with a silhouette of woods.

And once, a couple years ago while I was sitting at my peecee, which is in the attic in front of a window that overlooks an addition to the house, a bald eagle skimmed by, just over the rooftop, right in front of me. I could see his individual feathers!

[MagickMuffin]

14. What wonderful stories

Last year we had an owl hanging around our yard. I tried to snap some pics, I got a few, one day he was sitting in one of my Crepe Myrtles near my dining room window, I got a pic of him through the window before he flew off.

When we went to Vancouver Island, we went to Qualicum Falls. This place was so magickal. We were standing at a crook in the river below and all of a sudden two Bald Eagles flew by and they were so close I was star struck by their beauty. I had never been able to experience Eagles until I went to BC.


Thanks for sharing your stories. :hug:

[northernlights]

17. I had never seen a bald eagle

until I moved up here.

I just remembered I also saw my first (and so far only) golden eagle when I went white water rafting on the upper Colorado, from the corner of Colorado down to Moab Utah.

The eagle followed our raft down river for a day. At one point it passed us and then flew back up river, crossing right in front of the raft. I tried to get a picture, but didn't catch it.

One of the rafting guides said it's behavior was totally atypical and felt it was giving me a message. But I don't know what the message was...

[BanzaiBonnie]

15. Last weekend my husband eagle sex

A chase and then locking talons and a spiraling freefall from the sky. He was in awe of the sight.

[BanzaiBonnie]

18. That should read my husband saw eagle sex

[MagickMuffin]

19. I knew what you were saying ;=D

I must have been a wonderful experience.

I think it is also so cool that you have a hawk on your shoulder and a cougar by your side since childhood.

Thanks for sharing your stories.

[northernlights]

20. took me a minute or so

before I figured it out. :rofl:

[BanzaiBonnie]

16. Hawk on my shoulder, always with me

cougar by my side. I've known these two since I was a child.