Red-shouldered Hawk

This Red-sholdered Hawk is just taking off, after eating a small snake.

Canon 6D 1/4000 f 5.6 105mm ISO 640 I had just got out of the car and walked about 100 feet when this happened.

Many times a hawk will sit on a tree and watch the land below. It is not bothered by the hustle and bustle below. We can be the same way. Don't worry about minor irritations that come. Instead be at peace. Life goes on and we can decide to enjoy life.

We can live above problems as we rest in Jesus.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

Red Shouldered Hawk

ID by thin white tail bands, Red shoulder, white and dark back feathers. I was walking through the woods looking for pictures of buds and this hawk flew into a tree out in front of us. A few birds were chasing it and the hawk gave its call that sounds similar to a Red tailed Hawk.

Great Horned owls attack the nests of these hawks. At times the tables are turned when a hawk will chase the owl and another hawk will raid the owls nest.

They can live up to 25 years old. They live mainly in forests and return to their nest year after year.

The resiliency of these hawks points to how Christianity has survived down through the years against much opposition.

Joshua 1:9 ESV "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Swanson's Hawk

Out of the corner of my eye I saw this hawk fly into the woods. I noticed a bump on a branch thinking that might be the hawk and took a photo of it and it came out fairly nice. Can't blow the photo up more than this because it was a long way off. (maybe 150 yards)

The tail feathers match up and the dark around the edges of the wings match with a Swanson's hawk.  I saw one of these birds flying over the lake nearby, so that is another indication that this would be a Swanson's Hawk.

The vastness of the woods behind the hawk would cause the hawk to be invisible from the distance I was at if I hadn't seen the bird fly into the woods. Being alert was the key for me that day to find this photograph.

In most endeavours of life, being alert to what you are doing is essential to success. Some things seem like they don't take much effort like going to church and being a Christian. But that is a mistake because, we may not realise there is a war going on around us.

Stay alert and keep vigilant in your efforts to live for Jesus. Learn to use the weapons and skills He has given you.

Father, I look to you for protection. Strengthen me to be a vigilant worker in Your kingdom.

For further reading on this subject, go to some posts on my other blog.

Swanson's Hawk

The nest of the Swanson's hawk is about 2' in diameter and about a foot high.

The oldest Swanson's hawk was caught for rebanding and was found to be 23 years and 11 months old. The North American breeding population runs abound 580,000.

These hawks have one the of the longest migrations of the American Raptors. When these hawks are breeding they eat the normal hawks diet of rodents, reptiles and rabbits. They will scour the open fields for food and nest in nearby trees along the edge of fields. After they are done breeding they make a major switch in diet to insects. They will run on foot after insects with their wings partly spread.

Maybe it is because they are adaptable to different diets that their population remains stable.

I find it interesting that a majestic hawk like this will chase after a lowly insect.

Proverbs 16:19 "It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."

Father, remind me to stay humble and look to You for my strength.