Morning stroll after hurricane clean-up

Back in early November, I visited Circle B Bar Ranch a few days after they’d re-opened following the Hurricane Ian closure and clean-up. The usual beautiful Osprey and Red-shouldered Hawks were out celebrating the clear blue skies. The familiar Limpkins and Great Blue Herons patrolled the trails, stepping gingerly over the fallen branches, entangled in […]

Unexpected encounter with a Red-shouldered Hawk

As I stepped out of my car at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge recently, this Red-shouldered Hawk zipped by at eye level out of nowhere, and quickly disappeared into the trees lining the road. At first he stayed hidden, but then he emerged cautiously, peering out as if to get his bearings. The eBird entry […]

Hmmm, let’s see ….What’s for breakfast?

“Whether wheeling over a swamp forest or whistling plaintively from a riverine park, a Red-shouldered Hawk is typically a sign of tall woods and water.”  (All About Birds-Red-Shouldered Hawk). This handsome Hawk was definitely in his element. He was perched high up in a tree on the edge of the forest surrounding the beautiful marshy […]

Before the pandemic

One of our favorite places to bird is the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in southwest Florida. It was the last place we visited just before the pandemic – Who knew~!?!?!The Red-Shouldered Hawks were making a lot of noise overhead near the entrance, and the baby American Alligators were as quiet as can be back in the […]

Cycle of life – Is this who I think it is?

At first glance, this hawk sitting in a large tree near our home looked somewhat like a Red-shouldered, a species we see often here. But it surprised us that he just sat there and never moved a bit, even as we got very close. We soon realized why. . . . The hawk was being ‘buzzed’ mercilessly by at least four loud […]

A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks . . . or not.

Red-shouldered Hawks are quite common year-round here in southeast Florida. The distinctive reddish patch on the shoulder is not always readily visible from a distance, but is quite easily seen in both of these birds.This time of year is when courting and nest building begins. Red-shouldered Hawks form pairs and return to the same nesting area […]