Sunsets, Shopping, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sunday Sunset 12-7-08 by Kathiesbirds

Mom arrived by train late Friday evening and we drove to Flagstaff to get her. It was a 9 hour round trip and we didn't arrive home until almost 3 a.m. on Saturday. Of course we all slept late, but after lunch we drove to Rio Rico and Tubac on Saturday afternoon. We knew our time together was short and we had to make the most of every minute. On Sunday we relaxed at home and while Gus watched football Mom and I took an evening walk where the desert sky put on a spectacular display for us.

Blushing sky over Elephant head by kathie 12-7-08

The fire in the sky turned to a soft blush over the western desert where Elephant Head Mountain at the southern end of the Santa Ritas is barely visible on the horizon. Back at home Gus grilled T-bones for us, while I light a fire in the free-standing fireplace Gus bought for me. We end our evening with full bellies and our feet propped up by the fire's warmth as we watch the winter starlight shine.

On Monday Mom and I go out to breakfast before we start our day of Christmas shopping. We shop for new dresses for Mom, then Christmas presents for the grand-children and great-grandchildren. We need to get them wrapped and sent off while she is still here. Towards the end of the day as our feet and spirits tired, Mom bought a Christmas present for Gus and I: our first Artificial Christmas Tree. I have resisted getting a fake tree for years. I am a purist, always wanting the real thing with it's lopsided evergreen shape and the fresh scent of pine or spruce. I always love the experience of searching for the perfect tree, but I have finally conceded, realizing that I don't have to water a fake tree, or worry about the tree drying out. There will be no shedding needles this year, and no worry about where to dispose of the tree. We brought the impostor home and Gus assembled its perfect green branches. He stands it in the corner of the living room and plugs it in. I get out the tree skirt and the new Christmas angel I bought two years ago. The rest of the decorating can wait until the next day, but I want to see the tree with these simple adornments tonight. The skirt is easy enough, but the angel proves to be a problem.

Her china head and arms are heavier than the skirt with the plastic cone inside. When I place the angel on the top stem of the fake tree it folds over and she tumbles off. Discussion about how to solve the problem flies about the room and we try various ideas, including sticking one of Mom's knitting needles down inside the thin metal tube of the tree and taping it up to support the angel, but that is just the problem. The knitting needle is straight. What I need is something tapered, thin at the bottom and wider towards the top. Short enough to sink in and rigid enough to hold her up. As usual, I went searching for ideas and stumbled on a brilliant solution. I grab a bunch of old artist's brushes from my closet and bring them to the living room. A couple of tries produces a brush of just the right length and taper to work. My Christmas angel is now supported on top of my Christmas tree with a paintbrush up her skirt! She doesn't seem to mind as she smiles her benevolent china smile at all who enter.

Sharp-Shinned Hawk in Sycamore Canyon 12-9-08

So on Tuesday morning we decorate the tree and wrap Christmas presents with the strains of Christmas music playing on my old boom box. As we busy ourselves with holiday preparations a small hawk flies in and lands on the block wall outside my bedroom window. After pointing it out to Mom, I grab my camera and watch and photographed this Sharp-shinned hawk for over 20 minutes. Though the coloring is the same as the Cooper's Hawk who usually hunts around my feeders, this raptor is much smaller with a shorter neck and tail and a more hooded look to its head. The Cooper's has a more capped appearance. Still, there is an overlap of in size between these two species and a large female Sharpie and a small male Cooper's can appear very similar. Accipiters are one of the hardest bird ID's to make.

The amazing thing to me is that while the birds at my feeders initially all flew off, they quickly returned to the mesquite tree on the opposite side of the yard. Then, in what I considered to be an act of brazenness, a little Lesser Goldfinch flew over to the Palo Verde tree right next to the hawk!

Sharpie on the lookout 12-9-08

Though the hawk continued to look around, it never attacked the birds in the mesquite tree. It stood in the sun on the block wall for over 45 minutes...

Wary Gila woodpecker in Mesquite tree 12-9-08

...while this sweet-faced Gila Woodpecker watched warily from the mesquite tree. It almost looks like it is trying to hide behind the thin branches.

Hawk eyes 12-9-08 by Kathiesbirds

Still the Sharpie gazes away from the birds in my yard and faces the warmth of the afternoon sun while it scans my neighbor's yard instead. After shooting almost 100 photos of the hawk, first through the glass, and then slowly sliding the door open to capture a few shots unobstructed, I finally decide to get back to work. Though I glance out the window every few minutes I don't see when it finally flies off and the birds go back to their relaxed and noisy feeding once again.

Photographer's Notes: All of today's photography is by Kathie with the Nikon D80.

• Winter Sunset-Focal length 50mm; 1/100 sec - F/5
• Blushing Sky-Focal length 70 mm; 1/15 sec - F/4.5
• Sharp-shinned hawk-Focal length 300mm; 1/500 sec - F/5.6
• Lesser Goldfinch in Palo Verde-Focal length 300mm; 1/800 sec - F/5.6
• Sharpie on the lookout-focal length 300mm; 1/800 sec - F/5.6
• Wary Gila-Focal Length 300mm; 1/1000 sec - F/5.6
• Hawk eyes-focal length-300mm; 1/800 sec - F/5.6