Chaco is a Swainson’s hawk. The Montana Raptor Center’s literature describes him as one of the most beautiful around Swainson’s. Hard to argue with that assessment.]]>
I’m glad that you showed his colors. He’s just gorgeous. You mentioned how the hawks look like they are scowling, and this hawk looks very thoughtful. Probably neither are scowling nor being thoughtful, but who knows???
Carol, I have wrinkles in my forehead that make me look like I’m scowling too, even when I’m not. Or like you suggested for Chaco maybe it’s just me being thoughtful. Yeah, I think I’ll go with that. Or maybe thoughtfully scowling.
Merry Christmas. We can usually mark the seasons by the migration of the Swainsons to the south. They’ll usually stay around our ranchland/foothills for 2-3 weeks in the fall but I believe I saw one Sunday morning on a hike to the mailbox. Last Friday I saw a barnowl cruise through our front yard between the trees and the house, I was cheered hoping it would discover some of our over-populated bunnies. The next Michele was letting the dog out for its dawn patrol and the barn owl flew out from under one of those trees, leaving a large pile of collared dove feathers behind, an introduced species. Bio-control. I had a mental debate about doing in the eurasiaian vistors for a squab meal but this is probably a better outcome.
Steve, I wonder if owls (or hawks or eagles) get big enough to go after marmots. If so we need more at our house. Or maybe the owners of the lion tracks we’ve been seeing more often than ever before at the house recently will take care of the problem for us.
Chaco
Bozeman, Montana
2012
I’m glad that you showed his colors. He’s just gorgeous. You mentioned how the hawks look like they are scowling, and this hawk looks very thoughtful. Probably neither are scowling nor being thoughtful, but who knows???
Carol, I have wrinkles in my forehead that make me look like I’m scowling too, even when I’m not. Or like you suggested for Chaco maybe it’s just me being thoughtful. Yeah, I think I’ll go with that. Or maybe thoughtfully scowling.
Merry Christmas. We can usually mark the seasons by the migration of the Swainsons to the south. They’ll usually stay around our ranchland/foothills for 2-3 weeks in the fall but I believe I saw one Sunday morning on a hike to the mailbox. Last Friday I saw a barnowl cruise through our front yard between the trees and the house, I was cheered hoping it would discover some of our over-populated bunnies. The next Michele was letting the dog out for its dawn patrol and the barn owl flew out from under one of those trees, leaving a large pile of collared dove feathers behind, an introduced species. Bio-control. I had a mental debate about doing in the eurasiaian vistors for a squab meal but this is probably a better outcome.
Steve, I wonder if owls (or hawks or eagles) get big enough to go after marmots. If so we need more at our house. Or maybe the owners of the lion tracks we’ve been seeing more often than ever before at the house recently will take care of the problem for us.