Independent utility

On just about any clear, warm day, between 11am and 1pm, the thermals and updrafts start to peak, thus turning the patio on the side of my house into a hawk watching platform. These shots not only demonstrate that, but also prove I can photograph a bird on the wing, with not a single utility pole or power line in sight.



Above: turkey vulture (Cathartes aura Linn.)
Below: yet another red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin)

Uno Buteo

This photo is a companion to the Quattro Falco shot from late June, as this red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin) was perched on the same utility pole as were the birds formerly known as sparrow hawks.


The intensification of the monsoon season has moderated the high temperatures enough to permit birding, but the accompanying stifling humidity is still keeping me from wanting to do big rides. My mileage base thus remains supported entirely by bike commuting. Things should break up a bit by September, at which point I can once again ride for the sake of riding. Stay tuned for my first report from a ride longer than the 5-mile distance to my office. Or not, as autumn brings with it the first wave of southeast Arizona's wintering raptors. Hawks and falcons far less typical that this red-tail will fill the skies. Choices...