In the last week I’ve chased a Great Gray Owl at Hermit Island, Maine (3 hours searching for it . . . no luck) and a Tundra Swan (flew minutes before I arrived) . . . so I was a bit frustrated and hoping my luck would turn.  

Yesterday morning I was up early trying to get some owls at dawn.  As I walked out of the condo toward may car, I noticed a couple mourning doves in the branches directly over our vehicles.  As my eyes adjusted, I realized they were very small hawks . . . Sharp-shin Hawks.

My binoculars and camera were in the car . . . so I walked gingerly to the car . . . but the birds had no interest in me.  As a matter of fact . . . the male seemed to have thoughts of love on his mind (the female repeatedly rebuffed him).

I called Ingrid and she was able to watch them at eye level from the 3rd floor window of our condo.

Later in the day, I watched the pair catch (in mid-air) and dismember two birds flying to our feeder.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”353″ display=”pro_mosaic”]Loons are molting and their breeding plumage is coming in.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”354″ display=”pro_mosaic”]Lots of Scoters close to shore today.

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