Sharp-shinned Hawk revisited... from the winter of 2011.

In March, as some of you may recall, I posted a single image from a series of images captured while photographing a Sharp-shinned Hawk perched in a neighbor's silver maple. He was EXTREMELY interested in the House Sparrows that he could see and hear cheeping in fear while 'hiding' down below him in the brambles of a wild rose bush that is about 10 feet in diameter and over 7 feet tall. The sparrows were either gathered on the ground or perched on the lowest limbs of the rose bush and were inaccessible as far as the raptor was concerned.

I was having breakfast when I spotted him on a cold day in March so I grabbed my camera and dashed outside, hoping to not spook him. He was clearly more interested in the sparrows than any silly photographer and I snapped pictures until I nearly froze because I'd run out without putting on a coat or gloves! While revisiting these images the other day, it occurred to me that some of them tell a story so here you go.

Is this my best side?

Or is this?

OK, I can hear the sparrows... but where are they?

What? Those sparrows are hiding in the rose brambles???

That's too bad... I think I'll see what's on the other side of the garden.

Aren't you tired of taking pictures yet?!

Between the previous perch and this one, he landed within 10 feet of me on the fence... I don't know who was more surprised between the two of us... the hawk or me! He didn't stay long here and by the time he landed here, I'd been out for 20 minutes or more in freezing cold so was finished taking pictures anyway!

I'll be posting this to World Bird Wednesday later on... if you haven't found your way there yet, do drop by and have a look!

Face plant... Bumble-bee going after pollen in Aster...

Couldn't resist taking a few photos with my macro lens today... am so far behind everywhere that I had no business doing so! But fall is in the air, the asters are blooming and the bees are busy doing their thing...

Since I'm quite far behind with posts going back as far as my Australia and New Zealand trip in July/August, I will TRY to post more than one photo a day to this blog...

BUT no promises since I must also concentrate on choosing images and getting them printed and framed and all the other details that go with having a photography show at a local gallery in February, 2010... which will creep up on me before I know it I'm sure!!!!

Me and my shadow... tiny iridescence at rest... FLY!

These little, tiny flies are about 5mm in length and flit around my garden daily. According to the Texas A&M field guide, this is a Long-legged fly (Order: Diptera) and is a beneficial fly which causes no harm, other than to other arthropods upon whom it feeds. They certainly catch my eye when the sun glistens off their tiny bodies. (size estimate is a best guess... they won't hold still for me to measure them)