The sun was shining when I got up this morning and the first thought I had (well, the first cheerful thought, anyway) was “This is a great time to go to Forest Park!” So that is what I did. I take it you are not surprised by this revelation. I talked my wife into going with me, as she had the day off, and we tramped through yesterday unexpected snowfall, making footprints in the unruffled snow that covered the trails and paths in the park. We were not the only ones reveling in the snow, however. Everywhere we looked, there were rabbit tracks, tracks that crisscrossed the paths and circled around trees, and in some places, completely covered the path. It really looked as if we’d found the secret rabbit dancing grounds!
And so we wandered through the Kennedy forest, looking for deer (they weren’t showing themselves if they were there), but meeting a solid pack of dogs, out for walks with their various humans. My wife was glad not to have our dog with us, dragging us every which way. It did make for a much quieter walk.
It was when we got back to the savannah that we spied the hawk. He swooped in and landed on a tree not far from us and I had the opportunity to grab two photos before he decided he was needed elsewhere. I didn’t notice the kestrel in the same tree, a few yards in front of the hawk until I was editing photos to post.
An American Kestrel (L) is watched by a Red Tailed Hawk (R). Yum!