My first kill of the season sat in the big old Cork tree.
Oh yes, he sat watching me and I thought that he was just resting a bit, before flying off at his high speeds to hunt again.
They call Hawks "ACCIPITERS" and I found it to be a funny word. So what is the meaning of Accipiter?
According to the Merriam Webster diary,
accipiter
[akˈsɪpɪtə]
NOUN
ornithology
a hawk of a group distinguished by short, broad wings and relatively long legs, adapted for fast flight in wooded country.
All small raptors are called accipiters and the Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) is the largest one in Africa.
So, I waved and gave him the best disarming smile that I could muster.
But then I became suspicious because these fellows never sit for long and this guy was up to something.
Carefully and very slowly I moved closer as my senses kicked in and I didn't know what to expect.
Apologies as this is a sensitive photo below!
He popped down to a lower branch and I saw the reason why he was hanging around. He stashed his catch in the tree. Look below the branch.
So then I thanked him for showing me his catch and left him alone to enjoy his meal, as I was not interested in taking gory pictures of him ripping the dove apart.
It was difficult to get him on camera in the old cork oak tree, as the dense vegetation made focusing difficult.
We saw him first here and maybe you can also see him, as this is one big mother of a tree.
Some more information on the Accipiter species worldwide,
Accipiter is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. With 51 recognized species it is the most diverse genus in its family. Most species are called goshawks or sparrowhawks, although almost all New World species (excepting the northern goshawk) are simply known as hawks.
Source
I hope that you have enjoyed this short adventure and thank you for reading the post.
And That's All Friends!
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon Powershot SX60HS Bridge camera.
