This one is very difficult to get on camera, as even the doves cannot avoid his strike. I tried several times before, but always too fast for me.
It is a hawk in the Accipiter family that landed with a dove in its claws. For the life of me, I cannot find the specie name of the hawk, but I think it might be a Sparrow Hawk. Immediately the hawk started to strip the dove's feathers, and I have seen the mess of feathers that they leave behind, when they fly up into a tree to eat their prey.
The hawk knew that I was watching it, but I kept a distance, and I got it on my camera zoom. One has to be very careful and very slow moving around these guys, as a quick movement will result in a sudden disappearance of the hawk. I had to learn this the hard way, as in the early days I was over eager, and many great shots have vanished into the sky.
The hawk kept a continuous watch, as it knew something that I didn't know. But you will see the something below in the second part of this post.
Way too fast for me, as the hawk suddenly took off, but I managed to get the dove in the hawk's claws. Poor thing.
This was the something that the hawk was watching.
I know it very well as it is a Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus).
It appeared in the sky above the trees, and had the buzzard seen the hawk it would have been sure to lose its prey to the buzzard.
Some sunlight behind the buzzard, to end the show and the hawk was safe with its prey.
Much like life, isn't it? As when one makes a big score then soon the human vultures will circle around to take a cut of the score. What I have noticed in life, is that one is very popular when one has much to give, but as the stuff hits the fan then all the "friends" disappear. I have seen this, many times in my own life, and learned how to avoid the good time friends.
Nature has its own way to control the wildlife populations. As you can imagine what would have happened if there were to be no birds of prey. We will be drowned in flocks of doves and other small birds. So, birds of prey are only one way to control the population as there are also many other types of predators, and over time a population balance was achieved.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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