Sunday, March 04, 2007

Circle of Life




The Harris Hawks around Carefree Arizona were busy being 'hawks' during our week's visit. From the nature trail behind The Boulders Resort, I glimpsed some activity on a local church's large cement cross. The screen on my camera is murky in bright sunlight and I wasn't at all sure as to what images I was recording. Looks like a bit of a courting ritual. I'm wondering how the male can stand atop the female without damaging her with those talons.
The feeding hawk was plucking feathers out of a smaller bird. I think it was a Mourning Dove. I just can't help feeling bad for that dove. I'm hopeless when it comes to the 'Circle of Life' thing. Hopeless.

11 comments:

dmmgmfm said...

I am too, Cathy. I am too.

Mary said...

I'm with you, Cathy. Two doves have been plucked from my yard (that I know of) and I was devastated.

swamp4me said...

Sorry, I've got to weigh in on the side of the hawk again...it's that balance thing I guess :)

Pam said...

I feel bad for the dove, a hawk had one in our yard, once, but I love the hawks and know they have to eat.

Cuppa said...

It is a rock and a hard place for me. I know the Hawk has to eat, and we need natural predators to keep a balance in nature, but...the poor dove!

Anvilcloud said...

Great theme. for tying the two pictures together. I think we can feel both awestruck and sorrowful at the same time. Do you notice that the top of the cactus is shaped a bit like a hawk's head?

Ginnie said...

Wow, what an exciting vacation. Mine was very tame by comparison and I loved looking back over your blogs. I guess I'm a realist...the life cycle thing is all carefully planned out by nature it seems to me.

KGMom said...

I agree the Circle of life (and the cycle of life, too) is tough to handle sometimes. I have been known to turn off Animal Planet specials showing carnivores chasing hapless antelopes.
But, it is part of the grand scheme.
One reason for being so troubled is I can't figure out if I would be the chaser or the chasee.

Cathy said...

I think we've got a tie going here.

Good grief! AC - I hadn't noticed that. Thanks for pointing it out. Wow.

LauraHinNJ said...

We've all got to eat.

;-)

Nice to see the hawks working on completing the circle, isn't it? Or are they making more circles?

;-)

Cindy Lee said...

I came over from swamp things nice blog