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I joined the hawk watchers on Putney Mountain on Tuesday. Most birds, broad-winged hawks, were just specks in the vast sky mapped by by proximity to clouds and trees, most of them at the very edge of what I could see with the naked eye, but the ravens flying along the ridge provided some diversion during the long pauses between sightings.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B_5jvio717o/SrEPyJgOUUI/AAAAAAAAAxA/B32lrrGpHUM/s400/Raven_8954.jpg)
Sharp-shinned hawks were flying lower attracted by a fake owl mounted on a post. It was a thrill to see a hawk appearing suddenly low over the ridge between the trees, and taking target at the owl.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B_5jvio717o/SrEOH8-1NyI/AAAAAAAAAww/JlTECRA3Sas/s400/Putney_Mountain_8869.jpg)
Each time they realized their mistake just as rapidly, veered off and disappeared into the sky.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B_5jvio717o/SrEL9y0scFI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Sy_sJ3NeWOM/s400/Sharp-shinned_Hawk_8899.jpg)
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B_5jvio717o/SrEW5hEbywI/AAAAAAAAAxg/C8Oe5Y9hzi4/s400/Sharp-shinned_Hawk_2_8898.jpg)
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On my way down I stopped at the famous Elephant Tree, a large ash tree:
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B_5jvio717o/SrEZ1D2UsaI/AAAAAAAAAxo/AdM0Eq4VG2o/s400/Elephant_Tree_8860.jpg)
For those interested in joining the watchers, here is a map of the Putney Mountain Trail:
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B_5jvio717o/SrEaFILwzqI/AAAAAAAAAxw/kPR2x57i-qM/s400/gview.png)
Such great flight shots of the hawk. Looks like you had perfect weather too!
ReplyDeleteYes, that was yesterday. I didn't make the trip up today, but I guess they were lots and lots of broadwings, hard to photograph because they fly so high.
ReplyDelete