ProCaliberTraveler
Well-Known Member
These photos come from Devil’s Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Lakes, CA.
I woke up at 0530 yesterday with the intent to see Rainbow Falls. I caught the first shuttle into Reds Meadow at 0730 and started my walk a little after 0800 with a smile on my face.
I walked past Devil’s Postpile for the second time, again amazed by how perfect those columns are. Eventually, I reached a part of the trail where I was all alone. All I could hear were my footsteps, a gentle breeze and the sound of the San Joaquin River.
I turned a corner and this scene smacked me in the face. A swainson hawk had perched on a branch fresh off successfully hunting down a chipmunk. My jaw dropped. I had never seen this in person before. I kept silent and moved slowly while getting into position with my camera, but inside I was exploding with excitement.
I sat there for 25 minutes just watching the hawk do its thing. I watched it rip the flesh apart and tear out the guts. I saw how it removed the fur from the flesh. I was fascinated. The hawk knew I was there and kept glancing at me, but it continued to feed. Eventually, the hawk flew off with the carcass. This experience alone made the trip worthwhile.
My initial thought was that this is a red-tailed hawk. A birding friend reckoned that this is a swainson hawk. Does anyone here know for sure what I observed here?
I woke up at 0530 yesterday with the intent to see Rainbow Falls. I caught the first shuttle into Reds Meadow at 0730 and started my walk a little after 0800 with a smile on my face.
I walked past Devil’s Postpile for the second time, again amazed by how perfect those columns are. Eventually, I reached a part of the trail where I was all alone. All I could hear were my footsteps, a gentle breeze and the sound of the San Joaquin River.
I turned a corner and this scene smacked me in the face. A swainson hawk had perched on a branch fresh off successfully hunting down a chipmunk. My jaw dropped. I had never seen this in person before. I kept silent and moved slowly while getting into position with my camera, but inside I was exploding with excitement.
I sat there for 25 minutes just watching the hawk do its thing. I watched it rip the flesh apart and tear out the guts. I saw how it removed the fur from the flesh. I was fascinated. The hawk knew I was there and kept glancing at me, but it continued to feed. Eventually, the hawk flew off with the carcass. This experience alone made the trip worthwhile.
My initial thought was that this is a red-tailed hawk. A birding friend reckoned that this is a swainson hawk. Does anyone here know for sure what I observed here?
