I’m so thankful that our miniature pinscher was inside snoozing when this visitor came by. The trees are clear of leaves, so there was good visibility to see that the tree suddenly acquired something additional. The hawk was big, so it’s probably a female redtail in winter plumage.
It was facing our neighbor’s yard until it heard my camera, so I can’t be sure if it was hunting rabbits (of which our neighbor has plenty) or if it was hunting a miniature pinscher. Earlier this summer we had to keep him locked up because there were an unusual amount of activity over our yard from a pair of hawks who were living in our subdivision.
© 2011 dogear6 llc
Word for tomorrow – NORTH. If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week under “A Word A Day”.
A Daily Life 
December 5, 2011 at 2:58 am
Great photo. I got a picture of a hawk with its head turned, and took it to my doctor and told him I needed him to fix my head so it would turn (I’ve had neck issues for some time now). We had a good laugh. It is much easier to see who’s visiting when the foliage is gone.
December 5, 2011 at 10:02 pm
That is a funny story! I’m glad your doctor liked it. If the leaves had still been on the tree, I wouldn’t have spotted the hawk so quickly. This summer the pair was roosting in the tall pine trees between our houses making them much more difficult to spot.
https://dogear6.com/2011/03/18/presently-draft/
December 5, 2011 at 8:04 am
Omg, your hawk looks just like a pair that have been living on our property for a looong time. There are no rabbits on our acre but lots of squirrels; they must be after them.
December 5, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I sent the picture to my neighbor and she said the same thing, that she thinks they were after the squirrels. Although we do have a lot of rabbits too. The beagle trapped one under the deck just a couple of weeks ago. Do you know how LOUD beagles are when the chase is afoot?
December 5, 2011 at 11:58 am
You keep on protecting that miniature pinscher of yours from nasty big winged predators.
December 5, 2011 at 10:06 pm
We’ve really tried to pay attention before letting him out, especially this summer. The flyovers were just a bit too consistent over our yard.
December 5, 2011 at 1:35 pm
I had trouble last winter with one of these flying terrors of the sky. There is nothing so surprising, nor tragic, as coming out the back door to see a raptor under the chicken coop calmly eating your little fluffy chicken… Glad you’re watching out for your little dog!
~ Lynda
You can read about it here, not gory, nor any scary pictures. I promise!
http://pixilatedtoo.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/a-murder-most-fowl/
and
http://pixilatedtoo.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/the-morning-after/
December 5, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Thanks for those links – wow, was that something. It was purely God’s blessing that our min pin was not outside when the hawk came. It was so nice outside, my little cat-dog could have easily been outside sunning on the deck when the hawk came swoping down.
December 7, 2011 at 7:27 am
I worry about our little dog and all the airborne predators too. Although I think he is too big for a hawk. I don’t know if the owls realize how small he is under all his fluffy hair.
December 7, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Arthur certainly does look bigger than my min pin, but if a hawk (or owl) is hungry enough. . .