Red-shouldered Hawk
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I’ve seen this Red-shouldered Hawk almost daily from our camp site, either flying by or diving down and then gone. A few days ago when it landed in a tree along the river boardwalk very near me, my camera and I went for a walk.
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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The hawk would look at me on occasion but was more focused on the ground below.
At one point, the hawk began lifting its head up and down, with long neck stretches, regurgitating and then expelling a small pellet fragment.
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Red-shouldered Hawk regurgitating
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Out pops the ‘pellet’
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A lot of work for such a little one
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Owls are not the only birds that expel pellets/meal fragments from their digestive system. Raptors also do this. For the larger birds, sometimes the pellet can be quite large.
The Red-shouldered Hawk went back to its watch on the ground below. I could tell something had caught its eye.
Suddenly it dove to the mangroves below and flew back up to another tree. I got lucky with a flight shot!
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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Red-shouldered Hawk with his meal
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I could tell through my lens the hawk had caught a lizard. But s/he was more concerned with me, so I left it to its meal. I did not want to spook the hawk to take flight, and jeopardize it not continuing its daily return.
And guess what, I saw it yesterday, sitting on the boardwalk railing, eating another meal. 😊
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Photos by Donna 
Wonderful shots! Now do you have a hawk daily at your camera disposal?
Thank you, Hien! I’m inside replying to comments and just saw it fly over the mangroves out my window. 🙂
A spectacular series of shots. Gorgeous bird caught by you doing something unusual. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you! One of those wonderful RPRT moments. 😊
That is fascinating. I knew about owl pellets but didn’t know other raptors did the same. Fantastic pictures, Donna. I especially love the flight photo. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Susan! A RPRT moment!
Awesome clicks!!!
Thank you, Jyothi!
Brilliant photos Donna. It’s nice to see nature going about its normal daily routine, even if it does involve a bit of regurgitation. (Good job it’s not dinner time!) 😉
Thanks, Mike! The regurgitation shots go along with the other daily routine, out the other end, lol. Which I got a shot of too. But I thought I already had enough yucky going on in the post. 😉 😅
Yes, I think one end was quite sufficient! My mum used to say that, if a bird pooped on you, it was a sign of good luck, but I can’t really understand why!! 🤔
Because it didn’t poop on your mum! 🤣🤣😂
😅 😂 🤣
Very good! I never thought of that!
I heard that too as a kid! I’ve been pooped on a couple times in my life, maybe that’s my bird luck! 😉
Great shots Donna. I’ve also seen warblers regurgitate pellets, guess that’s how they get rid of hard parts like wing cases of insects.
Thanks Brian! Definitely want the hard pieces coming up through regurgitation for sure!
What an interesting behaviour! Thanks for the learning moment!
Thank you and you’re welcome!
Woo-hoo! What a bonanza of discoveries, Donna, seeing a “kill” and noticing the pellets. Your photos were spectacular. I loved that you put the arrows in, gave me an appreciative smile. And the action shot–really great. I didn’t know about hawks regurgitating pellets, too, and after I looked it up, I see that many birds do. How did I miss that all these years? Oh well, good to know it now.
Thank you, Jet! It was a wonderful RTRP photo session with this hawk, I still see it daily. The campground owner cut down all the mangroves around those few trees (so us campers can see the river 🙂 ), and I have stood still looking down into the chopped off mangroves and see lizards galore. So if I see them, that hawk sees a daily feast for sure! 🙂 I didn’t know even little birds regurgitate pellets, but the odd pieces got to come out somewhere, better up out than down, I guess! 😉
Ok, Teacher Wadsley…that pellet…is that an actual shotgun pellet from a downed animal or is it the body’s way of condensing non-digestible material for removal?
It is the body’s way of condensing non-digestible material for removal. You said it perfectly Vic! 🙂
Awesome system. I didn’t know about it. I thought they just pooped out what they didn’t need.
Interesting and informative series of shots. Where else but on “Photos by Donna” could one get a picture of a hawk throwing up a pellet attached to a 3 foot long string of God knows what? 🙂
Thank you, David! hehe Thankfully I didn’t share the poop shot I got too. I thought there was enough yucky stuff for this post already. 😉
Excellent shots of the Red-shouldered Hawk, perhaps it was rehearsing for when it had any chicks. I think this hawk is kind of young. Great shots, Donna. 🙂
Thank you, HJ! 🙂 Young because it is slender and the greyish face? Those two things stuck out with me.
Very nice Donna! Great images!
Thanks Reed!
An excellent sequence, thank you.
Thank you, Tom, and you’re welcome!
Great pellet captures, Donna. RPRT for sure. Is that a string or what? attached to it?
Thank you, Eliza! I’m not quite sure, I first wondered that myself, if string of fishing line. The consistency looks different at different points though. Guess we’ll never know. 🙂
Wonderful shots, Donna. Your capture of the hawk in flight is definitely the ‘money shot’. 👏🏻
Thank you, Sylvia! I was so hoping I got the shot, woohoo! 💃
Excellent captures … especially capturing the pellet! My favorite is the last though … a nice pose, light and composition!
Thank you, Denise! Leave it to me to see the odd stuff happening, lol. When the hawk flew up and landed in the tree in the last photo, I was so close, I felt my heart pounding! 🙂
Beautiful captures Donna, interesting about the pellet regurgitation.
Thank you, Ashley!
Beautiful shots!! We do have lots of hawks around, but I find it difficult sometimes to identify them, especially if they are youngsters, or even the adults, sometimes they have mixed plumage from region to region. Unlike this red-shouldered, so easy to tell😍 Love all your photos Donna!
Thank you, Christie! I get very confused with juvenile hawks too, and yes, even regional hawks have slightly different coloring and patterns! I love when it’s an easy ID! 😉
Hi Donna, I just nominated you for a Travel photo challenge, I thought you might be interested, even after holidays if you don’t have time now. I can’t believe Christmas is around the corner. Have a great holiday season😊
Hi Christie, thanks! I will think about giving it a go, maybe after the holidays. Me too, where has December gone? Enjoy your holidays too! 😊
Thank you!
xx