Friday, April 25, 2008

Best Day of my Life...

First of all when I say the Best Day of my Life, it does NOT of course
compare to the birth of my daughter and when she came home on Christmas
Eve.......or When I sang at my Son's wedding and didn't faint or die....
But a close second to events of that nature! Everything I did today
afforded me a 'photographic moment' and I will post each event one by one
so as not to confuse and overwhelm you.
The first one in the 'Best Day of my Life' started when I went to work.
I work in a small town, with streets, houses, small business district, but
NO streams, NO fields, NO open areas, nothing that would
attract what I saw in the tall tree you see below across from the
building where I work.

I had been seeing a bird in this same tree all week so I took
my camera to see if I could capture it.

I took a few shots through the upstairs office window.
A little blurry. Still not sure what it was.



Took a few more with the window open and leaning out.
I knew it was some kind of hawk...but just not sure what.

By now I had taken 50 or so and was reviewing them
with a puzzled look on my face.
I called my friend and she stopped over and she identified
it as a female American Kestrel. Well, I was in shock as to
why it would be here in a tree in town. The only place I
ever see these birds is outside of town on the lines above
fields or near streams. And I can NEVER get a shot worth
posting when I do see them.


As I was reviewing the pictures I noticed that she was actually
eating some kind of rodent. If you double click you can see it
hanging from her mouth.


I certainly didn't see that through my lens. Sometimes it is
a big surprise when you bring your pictures into the computer.

All day in between answering the phone, typing some letters,
and business stuff I was taking pictures of this bird in the tree.
It stayed there for 5 hours straight.


Moving from window to window and stepping outside
when I could manage it. Towards the end of the day I was
determined to get a better view. So I went out into the parking
lot and was trying to focus on the bird..........

Talk about luck, being in the right spot at the right time,
karma, or whatever you want to call it...
Like a flash I saw another bird fly into the picture I was taking.

Right there before my eyes I was seeing two American Kestrels
doing the wild thing!!!! One second


Two second.......three second
Four and all done!!

Now two 'sparrow hawks' as they are sometimes called
are just sitting on the branch as if nothing ever happened. I
wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't just captured it!


They hung out for awhile and I continued to snap pictures.
More than any sane person should take.

A car came thundering into the parking lot and the female
flew away first, and then the male left also.

I'm almost sad tomorrow is Saturday and I don't have to
go to work. How exciting to capture these cool little falcons right
in my back yard (or should I say parking lot)

I know there is a nest somewhere in this, but where???

5 comments:

jalynn01 said...

Thanks bird girl. Loved the ? with 5 hrs the answer. LOL. I finally feel like I am in the running with some exciting happenings after yesterday. Don't be green, you're FAR ahead, I can only see you in the distance. I'll never catch up! That was the most fun I have had in forever.

Jotter Jan said...

WOW Jane...what a wonderful gift!!!Sometimes I think God takes pity on those of us that have to work and sends us a gift to our workplace! It was great just to see...let alone photograph!!!

jalynn01 said...

Yes jan, I remember when He sent a hawk sitting on that fence for you!! Amen sister! I was soooo excited.

Stacey Olson said...

LOL, Yep that was the "wild" thing. Jalynn look for a nest hole in the tree. Should be someplace close my, and my even be in somewhere on one of the buildings.
So happy for you. have a great weekend..

Marsha said...

What a fun post and I look forward to seeing more of what happened on this special "best day" in your life.

Site Meter