Raptor visit...an urban bird...

My son brought our "Little One" over to play today.  Just as they were entering the back door, I spotted a very large bird, an obvious bird of prey, on the ground near our back fence. It looked as if he "had something"...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Not sure the gender, so I will just say "he"...he quickly, but without urgency, flew up to a branch just over our patio, only about 12 ft (4m) off the ground.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

When I finally got a glimpse of the back end of him, 

it was clear that he is a Red-tailed Hawk, a rather common hawk in America.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

It also soon became clear, from the trail of Pigeon feathers drifting down from his perch, that he'd just caught lunch, and was proceeding to pluck and consume it.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

We peered quietly from the garage door for a few minutes, but there were branches in the way from that angle, so I thought I'd try to creep left and improve the view.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

He kept an eye on me, but didn't appear particularly nervous.  It took him near a half-hour to pick the carcass clean, and in that time he didn't mind my re-positioning more than once, with my camera at times only 10 or so feet from him.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Not a good day to be a Pigeon.  This fellow must have a taste for them, because several times I have seen feathers or other scraps in the backyard.  If a cat plucks a bird, on the ground, he leaves a rather distinct "pile" of feathers.  But when a raptor is doing the plucking, well up in a tree, the feathers tend to drift over a broader area, easy to distinguish from a "cat kill".

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

With intent, but without nervousness he continued to pluck and eat.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Munching, and munching...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

...watching me, but not much worried about me, 

even though he'd selected a rather low perch, 

which had us almost nose-to-nose.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Finally finishing and attempting to tidy up...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

His perch was a nice broad oak branch, so it made a good "table" and nothing of importance fell to the ground...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I suppose he wasn't into eating Pigeon feet...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Recently, I noticed a place, about 20 feet (6m) off the ground in a large tree near the street, where some "critter" has been "cutting" small leaf clusters and dropping them to the ground. I speculated that it might be a large bird, who was opening up the foliage a bit, better to fly in and out of his "home".  It certainly seems plausible that this fellow is the culprit.  

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I'll keep an eye out for my very welcome friend, and hope to see him again in the future, but I would never expect to have another "blind-luck" face-to-face photographic opportunity like this !!

Camera handy, batteries charged !!

Y'all take care,
- Mark