The-Pond-That-Never-Freezes Eagle Nest Continued Plus Do Hormonal African Grey Parrot Females Go Berserk Too? And What Is That on the Cabinet?

 Where we left off when Blogger stopped functioning last night....I was walking the 3/4 mile field toward the woods  where the Eagle's Nest is situated.  I reach the edge of the woods and am able to see the nest in more detail 
 on the other side of the river.   And Mom has her eye on me.  No surprise there.

See what  I mean?  I'm assuming that there has been a hatch but the hawklets are still too short to be seen.   I decide to change positions as I'm standing in a marshy area.

I walk through the underbrush and when I get the camera up again.  MY, MY, MY!  Mom is shifting twigs to obscure my view.

Long time readers will remember  when we were watching the Red-tailed Hawk Nest  located in an oak in the middle of a field adjacent to County M a few miles out of Milton, WI . 

During the first observation of the male sitting the nest he too began to move nest twigs from other parts of the nest to obscure my view of he and the nest.  The eagle is doing the same.

I've never seen an urban hawk, even in a tree nest, do this sort of thing.  I suspect human habituation may be the reason.  It would seem strange that this is only a rural Wisconsin raptor move.

And she keeps at it.

 

Another glare.

And then she's back to the renovations.

And she keeps at it.

She pokes at another stick. And then stares.

                       I move and then she moves.

Then suddenly she looks up and keeps looking.  I don't see anything but then her eyesight is about a zillion times better than mine.  Okay, okay, not a zillion but from 8 to 10 times better than mine.  In which case it might as well be a zillion as she see's it, whatever "it" is, and I don't.

Dad coming with dinner?  Possibly.  Time to leave them in peace.  I start the trek back.

When I get about half way across the field I turn back and take a picture or two just in case something is happening that I can't see with the naked eye.

And indeed there was.  See the blob, the thickening of the branch that is just right of center on the nest?  That's Mom.

Dreadful detail I know, but look carefully.  Mom is standing on the edge of the nest leaning over.  Is she feeding an eaglet?  

I've always wondered what the survival strategy was involved with the white head and tail of an adult eagle.  It was an epiphany when I first looked at an eagle on the nest.  The head and tail are white, because at a distance the white head and tail blend into the sky masking the "bird" silhouette.  

 Look carefully at the spot the tail should be.  Got it?  You can see the line where the tail ends and the sky begins.

And who might that be?   The nest tree's clump is down right.

I'd say that was Dad doing a fly by and checking in.

Next up, as promised.  I'd wondered what female African Grey Parrots were like when Spring came round.  Did they turn into the Bride of Frankenstein? 

Well long time blog contributor and correspondent Robin of Illinois happened to have a friend, Linda of Delavan, Illinois who also happened to have two female African Greys. 

Do they dive bomb their mistress?

First off from Robin, "Linda says that ordinarily she will give her two female AGs cardboard boxes to chew on and shred, but not this time of year as they try to use them for nesting."

Very smart.  Rule number one, try to keep your birds from intensifying the problem with activities that exacerbate more hormonal secretions.

(Now if  I could just remove all shelves from the house.) 

So do females go mad like males do?

Linda of Delavan IL responded-

:

"Not to the extent of dive bombing me.  They will lay eggs if given a box and newspaper.  Gonzo likes to sit in the crook of my arm and let me pet her all over while she “clucks” very softly.  This only happens in the springtime.  Other times she’ll only let me scratch her head.  "

Clucks defined as: "Little noises into the crook of my arm.  If you’re not listening for them, you’ll miss it."

Thank you so much for the information Linda!

WOW!  The girls get more affectionate and some make cute little noises while you scratch them all over.  

Doesn't sound bad at all.  In fact it sounds wonderful.  Sigh.

Linda, just so you know, I'm extremely jealous of your girls!

Though I have to admit, Silver has not dive bombed me all day and I haven't caught him in a laundry room cupboard  either.  Perhaps his burrow through towels after excavating the drawer from the rear was traumatic enough to cool his jets a little?  Unlikely.  Therefore I hope, as hormonal surges tend to be arcs, he is on the down swing.  

Please let it be so!

Speaking of laundry room cupboards, long time reader Linda Maslin also sent me an email-

Love reading about the exploits of Quicksilver, but could you explain exactly what the bird is in your laundry room on one of the handles of the cabinet?  It’s right above your laundry sink – looks like a mourning dove.  I can’t tell if it’s a magnet, a photo or a stuffed bird or something else!

Regards,

Linda Maslin

I wondered if someone would ask about that.

You hit the nail on the head L.M.  Yes she
is a Mourning Dove.  She has a clip on her stomach so she can perch on things.  There are also two more on the opposite wall...

I realize it's rather odd, but there, as always with me, lies a tale.  Several years ago I was in a sporting goods store looking for a hard to find bulb for one of my camping lanterns.

While browsing I was horrified that Mourning Dove decoys were being made and used by hunters.  Yes, I'm adverse to hunting but the hunting of Mourning Doves is utterly beyond my comprehension.  It makes me crazy.

l. Back in the day, Mourning Doves were called the Farmer's Friend because they love eating weed seeds.  Therefore beyond all the reasons we have not to hunt them they are helpful to humans when it comes to farming.

2. Besides how many would you have to kill to make a sandwich for goodness sake?

3. And third, Mourning Dove breeding season is variable, therefore the hunting season can overlap breeding season and cause chicks to starve on the nest.

Basically it is a blood boiler for me.  So I bought the five decoys they had left so no hunters could buy them.  They decorate the laundry room and when I go camping they decorate my tent.

And I'm happy to say that not once have they attracted any other doves to come and  investigate for which I am very glad.  Not that I wouldn't like to see doves but you catch my drift.

We do what we can.

D.B.

The Sandhill Cranes, Emily and Alfred Plus their Canada Goose Pair Buddies.

Sandhill Crane Emily, right, and Alfred, left, are foraging in the mud, in the same field in which we last saw them.  This may bode well for a possible nest in the area.

The pair continues to poke their beaks into the creek and the mud along the sides for seeds and other goodies.

Sandhills are omnivores though in some regions they are mainly herbaceous and may augment their native food diet with cultivated waste corn, sorghum, and wheat.

Northern Cranes and those hard on breeding tend toward a more varied diet which includes small mammals,  berries, insects, snails, reptiles, and amphibians.

 Alfred notices me.  Drat!

And the pair begins heading away while keeping an eye on me.

DRAT!

Vigilant stances.  Then cars come from both ways and both Cranes take to their wings while I'm attempting to get the car further off the road.

 They don't go far, just into the cornfield further down the road.

That's when I see the Canada Goose pair.   Ah, could these be the pair from yesterday who were crowding the Cranes?  Interesting.  The Gander gives me a look.

And off they go as well.   And that leaves an empty pasture.  Off I go to see if Arthur and Guinevere the Red-tailed Hawk pair are sitting their nest yet. They are the Red-tailed Hawks we found perched in the dead tree with the rodent with a short tail.

No sign of Arthur or Guinevere other then their somewhat bough obscured nest, left of center mid photo.

It is that expectant time of year after all.   The waiting time.  The time when all strain for the sound of pipping and the cracking of eggs.

Two posts today, so keep scrolling down if you haven't seen the post on the Teneke Bald Eagle Nest and that of the Gough Red-tailed Hawks.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

The Teneke Bald Eagle Nest which technically isn't in this particular fence row though it looks like it might be.  It is actually located in a marshy area at some short distance from the fence row which borders this field. 

  This is the Eagle nest I found last season and asked for permission of  the land owner to cross part way into said private land through the marsh on the other side.  I suggested that side beyond it would be closer to come from the other side but also so there was absolutely no way I'd damage any crops in case he thought I couldn't recognize a corn stalk.  I was refused. Sigh. 

Therefore I'll do what I can.  There is a creek that runs into the area with access from the road.  In Wisconsin all waterways are public access.  Therefore if I can come up with some kind of  very flat boat that might make it up the shallow creek, I might be able to get a little closer later in the season.

In the meantime, I want to see if the Eagles are actually using the nest and if there is an Eagle sitting on some eggs up there.

 A mid-range crop.  No bird noticeable yet.

And an even closer crop of a long range photo. Yes!  See the top curve of the white head?  It is on the left side of the bowl.  So they are using this nest, they've laid, and are sitting!  

Next up a look at the Gough Red-tail nest which is not far down the fence row.  As raptor expert John Blakeman suggested,  Bald Eagle and Red-tail Hawk territories sometimes overlap.
  

The Gough Red-tailed Hawk Nest, without any trace of a sitting Red-tail.

Then I traveled further down the fence row looking for hawks.

Aha!  See the hawk near the top of the tree?

I'd say this was the female.  Did you notice the chubby look and a kind of heaviness?  As longtime Pale Male watcher Stella Hamilton would say, "That hawk looks eggnant!"

It won't be long now.  Possibly even tomorrow, they'll start sitting if the formel's look is any clue. 

Onward.

I'd followed the tree line down to the corner and turned right.  Their is a grayish spot in the tree that doesn't look quite tree-ish. I stop and scan the trees with the long lens on the camera.

 See him center?  That's the tiercel from the Gough nest.

He appears to be hunting.

Then he turns his head maintaining eye contact with the formel in her tree near the corner of the intersecting treeline.

Back into the car to hit three more spots before sunset. 

I head for the territory of the two pale belly band-less Red-tailed Hawks.  I can't find them.  Running out of time.

Next on the list, Alfred and Emily Sandhill Crane.
Therefore, I'm posting this and check back if you didn't see a Sandhill post before you saw this one.

Got it?

Good!

Happy Hawking!
D.B.

COPULATION! Pale Male and Octavia Do It, The Albany Eagle Nest, and the Pond That Never Ever Freezes

Photo http://www.palemale.com/

Pale Male and Octavia copulate on one of the very handy for the purpose light fixtures on the Carlyle Hotel.  

And it isn't even  Valentines Day yet.

The games afoot on Fifth Avenue!  

Fingers crossed for a glorious season.

The Search for the Albany Bald Eagle's Nest.

According to the Wisconsin DNR Bald Eagle Map,  there are supposedly two Eagles nests in Green County.  

(There are very likely more Eagle nests than two but no one has told the DNR that as the local farmers aren't at all partial to the DNR showing up on their land and in their minds or possibly in truth bossing them around.)

Well the other day I got a tip that there was an Eagle's nest outside the small town of Albany near the water treatment plant.  

Alright!  I could contact the DNR as to finding it but what if the DNR didn't know about it yet?  The farmer whose land it was on, would be very unhappy with me and I wouldn't be getting within a mile of it.

I needed some genealogy introductions and there is no substitute for a local farm boy's expertise in these things.  

I talked to my friend Mike Albright, who has helped me through this sticky wicket before.  He grew up on a farm not that far from Albany and his parents still live there.  

Mike agreed to drive around with me today to try spotting the nest and if we saw it, he'd  do the necessary genealogy conversations with the farmers.

Sure enough, without leaves to obscure the nest, there it was way, way, way over there near the river, across a very large field, was the iconic cup shaped nest.  Any public roads to get us closer?  

Of course not, we looked. 

Now perhaps it doesn't look all that far away in the photo but this picture was taken with a zoom lens.  Trust me it is a lengthy trek from the road.  If one can get permission to trek it that is.

Typically, it isn't easy to actually figure out who owns any particular chunk of property so we drive around scrutinizing  mailboxes looking for names that might have some connection to people Mike knows.

We turn into a long driveway and head up toward the barn in which a man dressed for the weather is just carrying a large bucket full of something through the door.  Mike gets out and waits.

One can't just walk up to the barn and call out. Nope. One waits. 

Eventually the man comes out of the barn with a now empty bucket.  Mike waits for him to walk up to him.  He then says who he is and suggests he might know his father.  They chat.  Turns out the man not only knows Mike's father he also buys hay from Mike's brother.  Excellent.  He's been placed.  Smiles all round.

Then comes the explanation about how we saw this Eagle nest, we'd like to take pictures of it,  and did he happen to know who owned  the land over there by the river?

Hay Bob, what he's called around the Albright dinner table as Bob is a common name and this Bob does buy hay from brother Ron, certainly does know who owns that land.  Take that road, go round this way, can't miss it.

Sure do thank you.  We motor off.

It's about an hour to sunset and a flock of geese flying with purpose passes over us.  My mind goes click.  There is water here somewhere.

Now keep in mind the temperature has been hovering around zero or below for like forever around here and every body of water is frozen solid unless it is at the foot of dam or is very fast river.  Hmmm.

We follow Hay Bob's directions and turn into another farm yard.  It is time for chores so this farmer too is making his way toward the barn.  Mike gets out.  The genealogy conversation ensues.  I wait in the car.  

They chat.  I look around.  

Wait just a minute there is a pond across the road and it is definitely not frozen or under a couple feet of snow like everything else.  

I KNEW IT.  I knew there had to be open water the geese where heading for at this time of day.

The guys chat.  I sit some more. 

More Geese come cruising in and land in the pond. 

Mike and the latest farmer talk about Hay Bob, brother Ron, Mike's dad, and the eagles.

Turns out the farmer says one of the Eagles got a goose yesterday.  Geez.  That must have been some tussle, an Eagle taking a goose.

Smiles. 

Lots of them and the farmer tells Mike we can use his lane, a dirt road currently under loads of snow that bisects his field and heads right for the Eagle's nest.

Mike says, thanks so much but when we come we'll just pull off the road and walk in.  Would hate to get stuck and mess up your road.  

We get more points.  I look at the distance, the depth of snow, and the amount of camera equipment.  It will be a trek without question but worth it.

The light is beginning to fade.  More geese into that mysterious unfrozen pond across the road.  It must have a monster spring under it.

I just have to ask.  Why isn't the pond frozen?  Is there a spring?

Big smile.  Indeed there is and the pond has never frozen within living memory.

How cool is that?  One never knows what marvels might await once one steps outside the door.

Mike gets in the car.  I ask, so what's the farmer's name?

He didn't give it so I didn't ask.

Really?  Must be another rule.

I stop, once on the road again, for a few more pictures of the nest.  It is far far away.

  Tantalizing.


Once I get home, I load the pictures onto the computer and crop the nest closer.

Look very closely at the left top edge of the nest.  I do believe there might be an eagle head resting on the rim of the nest.  And there appears to be the slightest touch of yellow, the only bit of yellow in the photo, where the beak would be.


Is it possible that Mama Eagle is already sitting the nest?


MORE TO COME, INDEED!


Donegal Browne

An Egg For Rosie, and Quicksilver, the African Grey, Does the Electric Can Opener

PHOTO BY DONEGAL BROWNE

For Bobby and Rosie, One Egg in the Nest

By EMILY S. RUEB

There is an egg in the nest.
The red-tailed hawks of Washington Square Park, Bobby and Rosie, are guarding an egg in their aerie on the 12th-floor ledge of Bobst Library, outside of the New York University president’s office.

Hawk Cam

Chronicling the red-tailed hawks of Washington Square Park.

The president, John Sexton, saw the egg when both birds were out of the nest on Tuesday, said John Beckman, a university spokesman.
“It is a joy that we have now added the rhythms of nature to the rhythms of an academic community,” Dr. Sexton said in statement. Just as we did last year, City Room plans to broadcast the unfolding drama of life on the ledge via our Hawk Cam.
It remains to be seen how many eggs will be in the clutch: red-tails lay as many as five.
Once incubation begins — when Rosie hunkers down over the eggs and begins warming them in earnest — the gestation period is typically 28 to 35 days, though if we use last year’s 42-day incubation period as a forecasting model, the atypical can be typical.
Since the pair were first seen together in late December, they have...

READ MORE
Thanks to Pondove for the heads up!

Photo  Donegal Browne

I was in the bedroom when suddenly I heard the whirring of a motor emanating from the other side of the house.  What in the world?  Was the parrot on his perch?  You've got to be kidding. Because the parrot is standing on the lever of the can opener while it errrrrrs, his weight just enough to get it going. 

 Silver is not in the least perturbed.       

Photo Donegal Browne

The results of a March snowstorm.  I very much like how the "nest" looks covered in snow.  Almost immediately the temperature soared up to the 50's, the grass has begun to green under the bird feeders, and for the last few nights every now and again, a bird sings a snatch of his species song.

Speaking of sound, just in from Robin of Illinois- and Eagle Cam with SOUND!
http://www.facebook.com/EaglesatNBG

Donegal Browne

Another Red-tailed Hawk Found Dead in Central Park and Good-bye to the Norfolk Botanical Eagles

 

Photo courtesy of palemale.com

 Zena, Pale Male's new mate, flies with dinner.  Let's hope she isn't partial to NYC rats.  

We do not know what killed Pale Male's mate Ginger Lima, nor do we know what happened to the most recent Red-tail found dead in the south end of Central Park on Sunday, but as I'm told both were found unblemished the suspicion of death by poison rackets up a notch.  Yes perhaps there might have been totally different causes of death that made both the hawks drop dead but it does raise more suspicion about poison.

Though we often put singular blame on New York City's parks for using rat poison, and the ensuing deaths of many other creatures which consume rats or carrion, keep in mind that many city buildings also place rat bait as well and some of those poisoned rats kill other creatures as well, including raptors.  They don't just hunt in the parks.  I've seen them take prey off streets with no green space in sight..

Whether the latest hawk deaths were by poison or not, past deaths have been  and we know rats are actually controlled by careful methodical sanitation not the supposed quick fix of poison.

New York City would go a long way in the  reduction of secondary poisoning, not just of Red-tailed Hawks but also beloved pets and sometimes even children by passing laws which require garbage to be put out on the street for pick up in rat proof containers.

Does your building lay rat bait? Find out. Talk to your neighbors about  better alternatives.  Or in the phrase used by many many different people over many many years who try to change entrenched but no-brainer unenlightened behavior-

 Educate, Agitate, Organize!



From the New York Times City Room Blogs


March 5, 2012, 4:54 pm

Red-Tailed Hawk Found Dead in Central Park

By JAMES BARRON

A red-tailed hawk was found dead in Central Park on Sunday, a week after the body of Lima — a companion of the much-watched red-tail Pale Male — was discovered under a tree.

A parks department spokeswoman said the hawk found Sunday was at the south end of the park, near Columbus Circle. It was not immediately clear whether it was a male or a female. Hawk-watchers say there had been a nest outside the park, not far from where the dead hawk was retrieved by Central Park Conservancy staff members, but it was not clear whether the dead hawk was one of the pair from that nest.

Read More... 

   From Sally of Kentucky, regarding the plight of the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Eagles--

What next, are they going to cut trees, or otherwise prevent eagles from nesting in the area? Are they going to poison them? Shoot or trap them? what about the hundreds of shorebirds in  the area and geese? Very sad...

 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/47037033923/

 

Julie Bonner

SAD NEWS for all fans:
Today I received a short letter from Senator Mark Warner, responding to my email to him outlining my fears for the Eagle nest at NBG. On my behalf he must have written to Norfolk Airport because he enclosed a copy of a letter dated Feb 26, 2012, which they sent back to him regarding my complaints. The letter does NOT look good for the eagles!! Sr. Warner also enclosed a copy of a letter dated Feb 3, 2012, that was signed by US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Dept of Agriculture, and VGDIF and addressed to The City Mgr of Norfolk (Marcus D. Jones). This letter is 3 pages long and I have not read its entirety yet - but here is what page.3 says :

"We strongly recommend that the City of Norfolk move forward by requesting the appropriate permit to enable the removal of the bald eagles nests at NBG, as outlined in the Airport's Wildlife Hazard Management Plan and requested the Airport in correspondence to the Garden in Nov 2011. The continued presence of the nests there is a liability and poses a significant risk to public safety and the safety of the eagles. Please note that the public safety threat goes beyond those on the aircraft to people living and working in the vicinity of the airport."

"A first step in this process is the application by the City (as landowner) to the USFWS for a permit that allows for the removal of the nest. To expedite this process, a copy of the application is enclosed for your use." 
"The DGIF also has a role in authorizing the nest removal, since the bald eagle is currently designated as a state threatened species. Ms. Becky Gwynn, regional Assistant Bureau Director for DGIF, will coordinate with your office as in that regard."

"We recognize that there are other attractants for eagles around the Airport, and are working with the operations staff there to develop a more comprehensive eagle management plan to discourage eagles from nesting on properties adjacent to the Airport. We also appreciate the educational opportunity that the EagleCam has provided to the public for so many years and are certainly interested in working with the City or other partners to provide similar opportunities at another, more safe location".

"If you have any questions or need more information, please feel to contact Scott Barras, USDA-Ws, at (804) 739-7739 or via email at scott.c.barras@aphis.usda.gov or Becky Gwynn at (804) 829-6720 or via email at becky.gwynn@dgif.virginia.gov

WHAT IS GOING ON?  DIDN'T WE WORK OUR HARDEST TO BRING THESE BIRDS BACK FROM THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION NOT SO VERY LONG AGO?  

Donegal Browne

Where Are the Bald Eagles today? And Even More Mysterious, What Doesn't That Red-tailed Hawk Want Me To See? And Could That Possibly Be Mr. M?

Looking for Bald Eagles?

First stop-The Riverview, a food establishment which, you guessed it, has a dynamite view of the river near the dam in Indian Ford, WI.

Open water in winter. That's the ticket.

The Riverview is a place in which the cook, the waitress, or a local patron eating the Eggs Benedict at this very small cafe, will have the latest information about where the Bald Eagles are or might be today.

What a great excuse to have a dynamite breakfast and get the latest Eagle report at the same time.

Except since I was last here in the sleet and frozen mist white out, there has been milder weather and the river is completely open. No reason for the Eagles to be hanging reasonably close to the open water of the dam so you can easily spot them.

But as Jim the cook says, "You never know what you might find."

Instead of the hundred mallards of the other day, a pair glides by giving me the eye in case I stashed my breakfast toast in my pocket.

They were right. I did.

What is that?

A diving duck not the least interested in toast for one thing.

The other thing is, I didn't know what it was but photographer Francois Portmann did. http://www.fotoportmann.com/birds/

It's a Ring-necked Duck.

As I was as unfamiliar with this duck as I am with most water fowl I went googling. And one site I visited was the Cornell Lab's All About Birds website, in which I discovered a most peculiar thing. Notice anything odd about these two entries about the Ring-necked Duck below?

"The most common diving duck to be found on small ponds in migration, the Ring-necked Duck is more easily recognized by the bold white ring around its bill than the subtle purplish one around its neck."


"Both the common name and the scientific name "collaris" refer to one of the Ring-necked Duck's most inconspicuous field marks. Rarely visible in the field, the chestnut collar on the black neck is noticeable when the bird is in the hand. Such subtle characters would have been obvious to the people first describing the duck from dead specimens."

I sent them an email to help them avoid any further embarrassment unless of course the duck has two collars.

Particularly interesting as you can't see the color for yourself very well without shooting the duck or finding someone with a bird skin.

Right. So how about those Bald Eagles?

Do you see any?

I finally did find one way over there--far far away. If you look very very carefully you may see a speck of white that is the Eagle's head instead of a clump of snow on a branch.

Here she is looking down at a passing duck.

Then she just turns away and stays there until she takes to her wings.

Love those tail feathers.

No more joy at the dam but I'd heard that there had been an Eagle sighted flying over Lake Koshkonong on HWY 59 near Newville earlier in the day.

I'm off.

I'm making my way toward Newville when a Bald Eagle flies right across the highway in front of me. WHAT!!! I jerk the car over on the shoulder, grapple for my camera...

And LOOK! More tail feathers.

And guess which way she is going?

It's a couple of miles away but what's that to a Bald Eagle on a sunny winter's day? She could well be heading for the Indian Ford Dam to chat with Eagle friends. Maybe go for the fish fry at the Riverview?

Sigh.

No joy at the Newville Bridge or the Edgerton Pond or anywhere else. But just maybe I'll see a Red-tail, the raptor closest to my heart, on the way home. And if I'm careful maybe the hawk will sit there a bit so I can watch him hunt.

A few seconds ago there was a Red-tailed Hawk on that wire.

Look! I even drove over to another road in hope of not disturbing him but nope. He left the wire and is currently flying underneath it and back towards me.

Towards me?

See there he is! And he is definitely looking left which of course isn't where I am.

Why?

Eye contact with a mate?

Still looking left. Interesting. Also this is territory belonging to Mr. and Mrs. M whose nest in the oak tree in the middle of the field we watched a couple seasons back. Could this be Mr. M?

Then it's into the treeline as usual for a raptor who wishes to avoid too much notice but why choose to go this direction past me rather than up or down the road which would have put him out of my sight almost immediately?

It is interesting that though he was in the treeline he then cuts across beside me again in full view. Perhaps this is one of the Ms standard "Look At Me!" not my nest ploys?

Over the cypress..

Into the trees...

Now what?

He flies in full view so I have to turn my back completely away from the direction that he kept looking and in which there might be something to protect.

Then a curve away...

... and a curve back around to turn me even further away from his original focus point and then he's into trees and? He's completely disappeared in a blink..

Oh I do so love Red-tailed Hawks.

They don't always just show you their tail feathers and flee. They often give you something to think and wonder about for the rest of the day before they disappear.

Donegal Browne