Surprise!

I went on a nice long bird hike today and saw/heard a lot of common species: Carolina Wrens, N. Parulas, Tufted Titmice, Cardinals, etc. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything new, although I heard a few calls that I didn't recognize.

It was later in the afternoon, however, when I got home that I was treated to a surprise.

I was happily playing the piano, and my parakeet was sitting on the back of a chair beside me. He became restless. He flew up to to the window, and tried landing on the half-closed blinds. I shooed him off, and went back to playing.

He tried it again. Same thing, I shooed him off, fussed at him, and went back to playing. Again, he flew up to the window and peered out.

"What's out there, Tuki?" I asked, as he climbed onto my finger giving me an inquisitive look.

"Oooohh my GOD!!" Outside my window, not six feet away was a Red-shouldered Hawk standing under my birdfeeder. It had caught a lizard or some other unfortunate reptile.

I grabbed my camera, even though the batteries were pretty much dead, and started snapping pictures through the blinds. My parakeet flew back to his cage, and started preening his feathers.

This hawk was beautiful. It didn't even seem to notice the zoomed-in lens of my camera through the window.
I don't think I have ever seen a wild hawk so closely before. It is such a powerful looking bird; big and brawny, colorful, and intense-looking.

So... no new birds today, but I certainly got a new look at a bird I see all the time.