Predating Raptor~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life

Panics the snow geese (Click/tap to enlarge),

driving them high in the sky,

into protective formation,

over The Salton Sea in Southern California.

When the threat passes,

the geese return,

to feast and float.

Smart Snow Birds,

head south for the winter,

to loaf in the sun,

and play in the sea.

They only fly north when the sun comes out!

Cheers to you from the sun loving snow geese at The Salton Sea~

Note: I am guessing the predating raptor is a Harrier Hawk, but welcome correction if wrong.

218 thoughts on “Predating Raptor~”

    1. There is a Canadian Goose flying with this flock. You can see him in one of the photos if you ‘Where’s Waldo Him!’ I have a good photo of him being an oddball out but I posted too much already so I let it go. Cheers to you Resa დ

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    1. Thank you kindly. Not nosy at all, but inquisitive, like me. For bird photography I use a Sony HX400 which has a 1200mm equivalent adjustable zoom lens. This camera has been discontinued. I just bought one of the last new ones remaining from Japan with all the onboard prompts in Japanese which is fun to us. I use a Sony RX10II for all other photos. I am currently researching to buy a new zoom lens camera დ

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  13. Just about an hour ago, the Captain and I were talking about how beautiful the snow geese look when they fly over and the sun makes them so luminously white, and their black wingtips accent them. A lovely sight to see. You must have heard us talking and decided to post this.

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      1. It started with the Cap commenting on how the swans flying by looked so bright with a small beam of sunlight shining on them through the clouds, and then I remembered seeing the snow geese in a similar situation a long time ago. I went to check my blog and there you were with the snow geese and sun on their wings (and a hawk on their tails). Gives me goosebumps when these things happen.

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        1. Yes. Your experience gives me goosebumps! The wonder of the world, especially when shared by different viewpoints in different places, is exponentially miraculous. Thank you so sincerely for confirming this.

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  24. I do love BIG pictures. That first fully enlarged just put me right into the airborne flock. Up close, the geese almost become like paintings.

    Suppose (maybe/wonder) it’s like schools of fish, where their ever interchanging motion makes it hard for a predator to single out just-one to pursue.

    Feast and Float, love that phrase.

    I also remember a large flight of mountain geese in final approach to the lake – the amazing “silence” of wind on their now unmoving wings.

    Of predators a partial recollection from somewhere else, regards what’s the measure of our own hearts – do we root for the prey and let the predator starve? How honest with life are we really?

    Thanks for always making this an adventure Cindy.

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    1. Yes, the flocking behavior of birds and schooling behavior of fish is being actively studied now. Science doesn’t fully understand how thesse creatures can be so instantly in tune with each and move with such quickly co-ordinated perfection. Love your thoughts on silent soaring, birds do this so beautifully, and the interplay between predator and prey. Fascinating to ponder. Thank you Neil for your thoughtful commentary დ

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  28. Thank you for your reference. I checked your guess and found that the raptor is actually a Harrier falcon. This is a kind of bird of prey that is characterized by its ability to float in the air and start and land vertically. The raptor is a very faster and agile hunter, which particularly captures small mammals and birds. He has a characteristic white spot on his head and a dark face mask. I hope this information is helpful for you. [🌴….🏃]

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  39. Anonymous

    The circle or spiral of Life. Spring coming back again! Beautiful evidence of that in your pictures, Cindy.

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        1. Regarding WP, believe me, I know the feeling. Their ‘errors’ always move in a similar direction. Followers and likes continue to be regulartly deleted. People are made anons when they want to comment. Sad. Thank you for commenting anyway.

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  42. Oh the drama! LOL! Snow geese are so amazing to watch as flocks. 🤍 We used to go to Bombay Hook NWR on the east coast (when we lived in DE) to see them during migration. It’s fun to relive the memory through your photos! 😍

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  46. Thank you for the impressive number of geese photos. Better on line…they chased me when I lived on a Mountain (Hare) as a child in WW2 in Wales and I was always nervous around them.

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    1. Oh very scary! Geese can be frightening especially to a child so I well understand your reticence. One went after my son when he was little but I was there and stopped it quickly დ

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  51. Cindy – this is an excellent example of a community that supports and sustains each other. You captured the community in peril and how they, by working together in large flocks, avoided disaster, relying on their strong social bonds and defensive tactics to keep their community safe. Another life lesson here, Cindy!!! Fabulous captures.

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  55. Hard to tell the difference of hawks. I thought I saw a falcon the other day and show the image to a ‘Birder’ who told me it was a hawk of some kind. Some of the images in a bird book are so close – the difference of an ‘eyebrow’ or tail feather.

    We do the best we can. Lovely birds. I’ve seen smaller birds chase the hawks to distract them from their nesting areas. Nature is wonderful to watch.

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    1. Hi Jules! So good to hear from you! You are right, a bird ID book, compared to birds you see flying in the sky, is the “difference between an eyebrow or tail feather.” So aptly put. Falcons are the fastest living creatures on the planet. I see them often at The Holler, but they fly faster than I can think. Take good care dear Jules დ

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      1. I have several bird books. I like the one that also shows dark profiles in flight. One good thing about the net is being able to bring up results quickly between two similar birds 🙂

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      1. I’m glad you saw that, too. I immediately thought of the classic children’s book, Swimmy. If I write a post on your birds and relate them to Swimmy, is that okay? May I use the photo? Of course you will be in the post.

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  61. Very nice. The only places where I have such concentrations of birds (flamingoes) were in Kenya. Lake Hannington and Nakuru…
    Amazing to see that in your neck of the woods…
    Cheers Cindy

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  71. Cindy – what utterly marvelous images of this amazing experience. I still vividly remember the first (and only) time I was lucky enough to see this sort of goose blizzard while visiting the refuge near Klamath Falls. A never to be forgotten occasion for sure.
    Seems we’ve both been blessed! 🙏🥰

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  72. Your paintings are a real feast for the eyes – a lively explosion of colors and shapes that transport me to another world. It’s fascinating how you manage to capture the beauty of everyday life so skillfully and bring it to life in your pictures.

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  81. Wow, I did not know about their protective formation. Not only do you take wonderful photos, Cindy, but you educate and make me smile with your poetry.

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