Photography, Nature
Elena, my “Backyard” Red-Shouldered Hawk.
Tales from the neighborhood
“Hi, I’m Elena. I’m the neighborhood hawk. I live here with my lover, Antonio.
You might have met my cousin, Andromeda, and her mate, Alonso, last week.
They live in the country, not too far from here. They’re trying to start a family, as you can see.
Antonio and I live in the big pine trees in the Burkhalter yard. I like to keep my eye on things from this tall one opposite the blonde lady’s office balcony.
Since we live in the suburbs, we have a lot going on around here. And my mate and I have so much to discuss while we do those big circles in the sky, calling ‘Kee-yah’ all the way up to the tops of the warm air convection drafts.
There are also a couple of pair of Red-Tailed Hawks who live here:
And lots of hummingbirds too. It gets really busy around here in the summer when those tourists, the Rufous Hummingbirds show up. But for the rest of the year, the Black Chins, the Allen’s and the Anna’s Hummingbirds keep a nice rhythm going at the feeders and the fountains.
You might have also met Big Red recently. He guards one side of the backyard fountain with an eagle eye.
The other day, at twilight, the blonde lady was working on a poem and just happened to have her camera on the table beside her. She looked up and we saw each other. I was sitting on the hummingbird feeder hook, just looking in. It was a moment of communion. I think I could write poetry too. All that time spent with the wind in my feathers and the sun on my back makes me feel very “at one” with nature.
I hope you’ll check back for more updates because we have a pretty active neighborhood. And Mrs. Squirrel says that she has some stories to share too.”
As you might have read in my recent stories, I have been keeping a close eye on “Andromeda” and “Antonio,” who live out in Peter’s Canyon, where I mountain bike most days. But, there are so many beautiful hawks, crows, hummingbirds, squirrels and other creatures right here in my own backyard. And I think that they deserve their own stories. So stay tuned…
Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
I hope you enjoyed my photos and musings. You might also like reading about the “murder” of crows out on Horseshoe Loop:
Or about Big Red’s escapades at the fountain:
Or about Mrs. Squirrel coming to lunch:
Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
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