Red-Tailed Hawk

Lunch break
26 degrees and sunny

I snapped a quick shot of a pretty male Northern Cardinal in the oak tree out front, but the cold temps made my camera fog up.  I do love cardinals in winter.

Next, I drove over to Southboro.  There was one mute swan sitting on top of the ice.

On the way home, I made a quick stop at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land.  I immediately spotted the Northern Mockingbird that's usually there.  Also, an American Crow swooped down to the meadow and plucked something out of the snow.  I wish I would have snapped a photo, because when he flew off, it looked like he was carrying a mouse.  Do crows eat mice?  I'll have to look this up!  A Red-Tailed Hawk was pursuing him.

Note:  Crows are scavengers and will eat "just about anything", including mice!

I decided to climb the first hill and heard two crows cawing in the treetops at the edge of the meadow.  Then, the Red-Tailed Hawk flew into the same tree where one of the crows was.  I drew nearer, but the hawk flew off.  Still, I was able to capture some nice shots of it against the blue sky as it circled above me.  [Click on any photo for an enlargement]

When I was at Cushing Memorial Park yesterday, I saw a hawk flying low over the trees when I drove into the lot but couldn't find it again by the time I parked the car.  A little later, I saw three crows "mobbing" the hawk on the far end of the park.  It finally flew off, exasperated with the crows!

The other day I saw crows gathering by the hundreds in the trees behind Whole Foods in Framingham.  I'm not sure if this is their regular roost or just their gathering place, but I was wishing for my camera while on that errand!  It looked like a scene from the movie, The Birds!