It's a pretty dreary day here again, not much sun. I took the dogs for a walk in the river bed, came home, and just went out in back to sit and look at the horses and cows across the river bed. A shot of yellow in the oak tree caught my eye and I ran into the house to grab my camera to try to catch a shot of what turned out to be a Hooded Oriole. Got a couple of decent views I thought, and it was nice out there, so I was just continuing to sit and watch a mare and her foal run around through my telephoto lens when all of a sudden I heard a hawk calling. I looked around and saw some local Grackles mobbing a hawk nearby (they will do that if hawks get too close for comfort). I pointed the camera over there and then noticed a pretty wild squeaking on top of all the other noise the birds were making. The hawk had captured a ground squirrel for dinner! I just kept shooting away, hoping something would be in focus since I was pretty nerved up about the whole National Geographic - Wild Kingdom scene unfolding in front of me... and lo and behold, a few shots WERE indeed in focus! I was only able to get this angle because of how our house sits up on the bluff above the river bed...
Nature just amazes me on a daily basis. Whether it's the birds, the flowers, or the weather, always take a moment to enjoy or simply be awed...
