Up close with a Red Tailed Hawk

[Exploriment]

Had a cool (well actually bloody frigid!) encounter with a Red Tailed Hawk yesterday afternoon at the main intersection of the city I live in.
(Link after the picture.)

http://exploriment.blogspot.com/2011/01/rescuing-king-james-or-handling.html

 

[Barn Owl]

Nice rescue, I approve.

If a bird of prey ,in fact even the smallest grabs your fingers with its talons, boy is there power in that grab!

Immense power in fact.

 

[morch]

I once rescued a Tawny owl, and he/she decided to dig her talons into the palm of my hand, never felt pain like it!!!

Dave

 

[robin wood]

I am no expert on North American raptors but Red Tail Hawk (or red tailed buzzard, Buteo jamaicensis) is a much larger bird about twice the size, they are commonly used for falconry.

Blood on the beak is a minor injury to the cere, the delicate skin around the beak similar the cutical around our finger nail and nothing to worry about. My bet is that it flew into something (possibly big glass window they often do) was stunned for a few minutes and that if you'd let it go 5 minutes later it would have happily flown away.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I once rescued a racing pidgin, a bit lame in comparison, Nice article and at least the right action was taken.

 

[Geoff Dann]

I once rescued a racing pidgin, a bit lame in comparison, Nice article and at least the right action was taken.

You mean "pigeon". A "pidgin" is a type of grammarless language developed when a load of adults with difference native languages are placed to together and forced to communicate. When they have children, those children spontaneously invent a grammar and the language becomes a "creole."

 

[Shambling Shaman]

You mean "pigeon". A "pidgin" is a type of grammarless language developed when a load of adults with difference native languages are placed to together and forced to communicate. When they have children, those children spontaneously invent a grammar and the language becomes a "creole."

I did indeed mean Pigeon, was up late drinking and was up early not firing on all cylinders today, but that not unusual

 

[robin wood]

You mean "pigeon". A "pidgin" is a type of grammarless language developed when a load of adults with difference native languages are placed to together and forced to communicate. When they have children, those children spontaneously invent a grammar and the language becomes a "creole."

What a fascinating little diversion. I know the names pidgin and creole but never knew how they differed and were defined.

 

[wolflore]

Indeed a pleasant diversion on the meaning of pidgin (which I knew) and creole (which I didn't know)!

Today whilst looking at some potential pigeon work I spotted a little splodge sat on a security light. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a pretty young kestrel. Made me smile.