Rainy Day Hawks

Well, it was raining steady this morning, and after Breakfast, I had ample time for a walk...or a nap!...glad I chose the walk...paddled back to the Creek, and heard a loud call or two...took a minute to realize it was Mallard quacks...really loud...there was a flotilla of Mallards in the Creek...stood on the Rip Rap and took a clip of Mallards swimming up to the Twin Fallen Cedars...for sometime...continued to Creek's End...Ouzel clip at the Great Turf...out on the Shingle, I heard Hawk over where I heard Hawk yesterday...in Chapel Meadow near CAD Beach...after some thought, I hopped over the Creek...and stayed dry!...with the Rain, Creek crossing is problematic again....crossed Chapel Bridge, and out into the Meadow on the use Path...checked the Cottonwood...always do!...and when I was almost to CAD Beach, I sighted Hawk...got fairly close for clip and pics...and Hawk looked to stay put, but I looked down at the 12x to set a setting, and heard like a snowball hit the slushy Snow...looked up, and Hawk was gone....I dont know if Hawk swooped to the ground, but I looked all about with that in mind!...I continued on, and sighted Hawk again in another leafless Cottonwood...clip and pics...and Hawk flew back the way I had just came.... I followed, and sighted Hawk a third time...two pics up show the Tree....a remarkable setting with the Clouds and Falls for background...after some pics and clip, I left Hawk, and continued on the Big Loop...hopeful I might see another Hawk...seems Hawk just likes to perch and stay put on rainy days....I was all the way across Swinging Bridge, and on the Bike Path, looking out to Two Top Pine Meadow...very scenic in the mists!....and heard calls in the Lone Cottonwood....checked time..just enough...and so went out to the Tree, and two DownyOrHairy Woodpeckers were playing and chasing...clip and pics...for sometime...picked up, and started back, and heard Raven scolding...turned around to looksee, and Raven was chasing Big Wings across the Meadow towards the Scorched Forest...sighted the Tree Hawk, Red Tail, perched in...checked time...just barley enough...and started out further across the Meadow...just as I reached Hawk's Tree...a bit past Two Top Pine....Hawk flew back, to my right, and to another Tree....this all happened one more time, and I caught up, and got a long distance pic and clip...Hawk, at last, flew off across the Meadow towards the Mists and Clouds below Sentinel...very cool...I didn't look at time, and hurried back to the Cabin...yeasterday's Fawn by the Perfect Dogwood...pic and clip...and got ready for work...was fifteen minutes...early...dont know how that happened!....anyway, lots of pics up, but just two Hawks...one in the Cottonwoods, the second in the single Ponderosa.....rainy cloudy misty in the mystical Valley!...and cool...late tonight a little Snow...but higher up they say it's Snowing good...so maybe BadgerBadger will be open on schedule!...good show on Nat Geo about Naturalist...brb...here's link to to wiki's bio of George Schaller:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Schaller

and his project site to conserve Cats...

http://www.panthera.org/staff_bios.html