So, yesterday I was pulling up some beets for supper.
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| As I was returning, I heard a rustling. |
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| It turns out it was an immature red-tailed hawk. |
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| It flew low to the ground. |
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| I noticed it was carrying something. |
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| At first I thought it was a snake, but then saw it was a dead bunny. |
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| The hawk gained a bit of altitude... |
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| ...when a smaller hawk, about the size of a kestrel, came out of a tree and made a play for the bunny. |
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| They tussled midair. |
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| The larger hawk managed to hold on to its dinner. |
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| Every time it started to fly, the smaller hawk would again go after the bunny. |
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| Finally the larger hawk escaped, sticking very low to the ground. |
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| The smaller hawk could not get the food, but it still ended the day better off than the bunny. |
22 comments:
Miss Muffy you're on a roll here with awesome posts. Those are the most amazing shots...who took the photos?
Furthermore, I don't know if there's anyone on the face of this planet who likes beets as much as I do. Pleased to see that garden, it's beautiful.
@Susan R - This was going to be a beets entry, but we got sidetracked. Our friends have highly productive organic gardens, so I cannot take credit for those. Nor can I take credit for the photos. That would be my husband.
All I can think to say is"Wow!"
Poor bunny. Such is the food chain, however. I would like to hear what you did with the beets. I've never cooked them before.
At least you didn't see it eat the bunny (like I saw one eating a smaller bird). That was disturbing!
Very nice photos!
What an exciting series of photographs!
Also, agree with Farrah -- would love to know how you prepared the beets.
Seeing nature in action is not always pretty, but it is awesome.
Can one do anything with the leaves from the beets, or are they just for the compost? It seems like a fairly big waste.
Roasted beets are so easy yet most people don't know how to cook them. We're lucky enough to have several excellent farmer's markets in the area and enjoy getting white, red and orange/yellow colored beets each week. Cut them in halves or quarters (depending on the size), drizzle with some good olive oil and sea salt, roast @400 degrees until tender. After they cool down a little bit, the skin comes right off. In the summer, we eat them at room temperature or even cold. A little bit of Eden organic apple cider vinegar is a nice addition too.
What an astounding series of photos! All the fun of falconry without the work, and now that you mention it, rabbit might go great with beets! ;)
Hawk "kids" learning life skills!
Muffy,
Your pictures are always amazing. Thank you. If you ever decide to publish a photo book on coastal New England, I'll be one of the first people to buy it. ; )
Ouch !
Whoa, right place at the right time with the camera! Amazing photos.
I've had a hawk dive-bomb my deck and almost take out my cat... people with small pets should be warned!
Also, I agree with Billsburg about roasted beets. I'll wrestle Susan R. for the title of "biggest beet lover!" I like to roast them whole with olive oil, in foil, and then slide the skins off. For the record, if you then slice them up and just serve them with a bit of good goat cheese, you have an AMAZING and simple dish. I'd love to see your final beets post.
Sorry, should have consolidated all my "anonymous" entries. As Muffy might point out, you CAN and SHOULD eat beet greens - they're delicious. Just saute them and enjoy.
My husband, a birder, thinks the larger one is an immature red tail hawk, and the smaller one is a Northern Harrier, or marsh hawk.
Our Jack Russell puppy dispatched two baby bunnies this week. As unpleasant as it was, I can't blame him as that's what they were bred for.
I love beets. Unfortunately I'm the only one in the family.
When did you plant your beets? We got a late start on our garden, Mother's Day, simply becasue it was too wet here in our part of PA. Yours look great, we'll have to wait a while.
We have a couple of red tail hawks on our little property. We saw one of them try to carry off a squirrel one day. 'didn't work the squirrel was squriming too much.
JDS
Your husband has a quick eye. Sorry to say he captured your sadness? raw interest? in the sighting of the bunny!
What a beautiful place. Loved the photos of the birds.
Bad day in Bunnyville.
Chilled cooked beets are excellent with a little sour cream mixed with chives.
Cooked, warm beets with Chevre/goat cheese as an apetizer...
The photos are incredible. What a scene to witness!
A few years back, we had the horrible experience of hearing the calls of an unfortunate bird, captured by a hawk in one of our large maples. I was upset but would be even more so if one of our bunnies was caught, I think.
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