Here Birdie Birdie!

As long as they keep hanging around, I will keep taking their picture.

 

I have taken many shots that show the red tailed hawks eye shield mechanism, formally called a nicitating membrane. Yesterday I took the first two shots which I remember where the membrane is half closed, one of which I post here. Below is the full shield.

Such a regal bird!

can't a bird take a crap in peace?

I saw a strange encounter on the way to work this morning. We have a roadrunner that has lived around the corner for years. Pardon these shots, they aren't in focus but sometimes you get what you get. Capiche?

The terrestrial bird was ambling up the old road through the brush when he ran into a California quail who was having none of it and chased the bigger feller off. Ain't the dog in the fight, its the fight in the dog. People around these parts regularly see jays and crows and even smaller birds go after hawks. Nobody lays down in nature!