“Say hello to my little friend…”

This little guy was crawling on the ground just outside the door, nearly squished him. (moved him to safety, in the woods AWAY from our plants!)

See him waving, do ya see it!?

Our Yearly Visitors: Red Tail Hawks

 

An alert red tail hawk perched on top of a stump.

Our land expands beyond the barn in all directions.   The walk on the road from the hothouse to the olive orchard is about a quarter mile.  But if you decide to take a walk on the wildside, you can cut through the woods below.  There are no trails, only one way across a 15ft gully, and it’s about the same distance but it’s a much prettier walk (and really what fun is taking the road anyway?)

One day I was heading that direction and as I was just getting to the edge of the orchard I heard a noise above me.   It was a sudden, loud scream!  I wasn’t worried because I knew it wasn’t human (and therefore also not a mountain lion, because they sound very human).   As I glanced up I couldn’t see anything at first.   Then I spotted them.  Two Red Tail Hawks were in the trees over my head.   They were flying back and forth, screaming at each other.   Swooping and twirling around each other.   It was a beautiful dance to behold.  As I watched I noticed they didn’t particularly care for one another, and that’s when I realized they both had to be males and a female had to be near by.

I searched the surrounding area, and sure enough, about 10ft away up another tree was the pretty girl.   She was sitting on a branch very calm.   Whenever the males got near  she would shift a little, occasionally screaming at them.  I stood and watched the mating dance for a little while and then moved on.

Every year since the female has returned to breed in the same area.  It’s possible the same males come back as well but since the hawk population is steadily growing, it’s also possible she has many admirers.  We say, the more the merrier!  Especially near our orchards.   Hawks are wonderful vermin control along with being a beautiful addition to our amazing home.

Stephanie ~ 3/2/09

 

Further Reading:

http://www.desertusa.com/aug96/du_hawk.html

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-tailed_Hawk_dtl.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-tailed_Hawk

Wildlife Abounds

 

A buck standing at attention in the morning fog.

My family’s land is located in the mountains of Northern California.   Because of this, we are surrounded by woods teeming with wildlife.  Most people see a deer and think, “So cute!!”  Although we admire the buck’s beauty, we also see the animal that decimated our olive orchard last spring.

Whenever I walk I almost always catch a glimpse of a deer or two out in a meadow.   Maybe a rabbit might dart across my path or a coyote will howl in the distance.  Dusk is one of my favorite times to walk.   The sky turns so many colors, and the way the light shimmers thru the trees can be breathtaking.   I often find myself daydreaming as I slowly wander down the road.   Seeing a mushroom here or a pile of poop there.

However, walking at dusk has its disadvantages.   As I mentioned before, we are in the wilderness, and with the grazers comes the carnivores.   Mountain lions are aplenty here.   My father and brother have both been stalked multiple times at night.   Now they don’t go out in the dark without a gun.   Dusk is the time for hunting.  Deer (and unfortunately humans’) eyesight is poorest during these late hours of the day.   And mountain lions know this and take advantage.  Luckily I have never been on foot when I’ve spotted a lion (although I’ve definitely gotten the chills like someone is watching me attentively) but I have seen two while driving.   One I only caught a glimpse of a backside with tail.   But the other I was able to see the entire animal, or at least I hope it was all of him.   His head was going off one bank of the road while his tail was still in the bushes on the other side!  He was gone before I had a chance to absorb how huge he really was!  Without tail he had to have been at least 10 feet long.

We’ve never had an animal attack on our land (although they have happened recently in the surrounding area).  We do find deer carcasses quiet often, which is a delight to the dogs.  And although it can be kind of scary to have natural born hunters creeping thru the woods outside your bedroom window, we love it.   Having a healthy ecosystem means we can be secure in the knowledge our land remains abundant and safe, just the way we want it.

Stephanie ~ 1/27/09