Hawks

Almost every evening we have one or more of these hawks that come visit a tree in our yard (or "garden" as they call it here).  All of these pictures were taken from our porch (or "veranda" as they call it here).

They look like they could do a number on a small rodent like a rat.  But rather than hunting meat in our yard, they come to eat some kind of nut from one of our trees.  First, they perch up in the large tree above our swing, looking all over as if they're hunting.

Then, suddenly they dive off the branch and swoop down.  It looks like they're going to dive straight into the ground, but at the last second they pull up, wingtips grazing the top of the grass with one of those nuts in their sharp talons.  They pick them up off the ground where they've fallen.

The other night we had seven of them here all at the same time--there were some that were soaring above the yard, others sitting in the tree, and still others content to eat their nuts in the grass.  That was the first time I saw them willing to stay down in the grass to eat.  But it's the soaring ones that fascinate me.  I love watching soaring birds--makes me want to take some glider training.  Some day I want to go hang gliding too, and parasailing.  Oh, and skydiving.  Anyone want to join?

I don't know why, but I seem to have not taken a single picture with one of the nuts, so I guess I can't show you what they look like.  I'll have to remember to do that some other time.