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It rained off and on during the morning hours then cleared to patchy bright blue skies with fast moving, bulbous cumulus clouds. Suellen and I decided to get some of the cold, fresh wind in our faces and look for wildlife. Our first stop was to take a slow trip up and down Payen Road. We saw one hawk in the distance and up high. The only other raptor was a kestrel on a telephone wire that flew off as our vehicle approached.

We moved on and headed down White Rock and turned left on the continuation of Scott Road. A large hawk was soaring and kiting over the green pasture land. It dove and landed in the grass. We found a wide area on the side of the narrow road and parked. I got out my camera and started shooting as the hawk took flight. It soared and circled. One of the circles took it in my direction and ultimately directly overhead and not too high. It turned out to be a Ferruginous hawk, and it was looking directly at the lens.

We continued down Scott all the way to Latrobe and then back again as it was getting late. Near our neighborhood we cut through Windfield Road by the church and took this “back way” home. On the corner of the church parking lot a small red hawk was perched on a lamp post. I got out and circled into the parking lot to get better lighting. It was a very cooperative little red-shouldered hawk.

You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry and Suellen Perry


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