Drama In the ‘Hood’/Photography

or…

The fight for King of the light pole. I had an amazing walk this morning. The temperature was nearly perfect with clear skies, cool breezes and brilliant sunshine. Suddenly the birds started popping up. A young red shouldered hawk flew overhead. Next there was the woodpecker. Right over my head. And as long as I held my phone up , it never flinched. No, Cheryl did not have her ‘real’ camera with her. I have had a serious shoulder problem, accompanied by pain, all week; and as a result I have taken a short vacation from holding the heavy zoom lens that I use almost exclusively, telling myself it truly is about the experience of being in nature more than capturing the images. (Well, we all tell ourselves what we must to move on) The hawk zigged overhead again as I walked. Then one, and two, mockingbirds zipped low to the ground in the same general direction. This was not the direction I was headed, but something inside urged me to follow that hawk.  I crossed the main drive in their direction and walked the road to where it ended in a cul de sac and was heading back  up the street when a mockingbird flitted ahead of me and onto the peak of a nearby roof top, squawking in serious protest. Next thing I saw was the red shouldered hawk settling itself onto the light post, merely a stone’s throw away. (Again, no camera. 😩)

What follows is the (very blurry-sorry) series of photos I got with my humble little phone that tells the story of courage, tenacity, audacity, indignation, bravery and triumph that played out in less than ten seconds. 

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I just couldn’t help looking up and saying out loud,

“Bet you think you’re pretty bad ass, right?”

well…it DID win the pole position. 😛

Mockingbirds are very protective of their nests, eggs and babies. They are very fierce in defending their territories, often running off larger birds of prey such as hawks, owls and  osprey.

This one was a real bruiser. Happy Mother’s Day to all you protective Moms out there. You can always make a difference.

Just squawk loudly and keep flapping those wings!