During the birding season, I tend to see predators more often like the Northern Goshawk. With so many preys for the predators, it’s good to keep a lookout for this and other local hawks. But they still don’t stay long enough to get a good look, unless they are perched in the distance or unaware of me. When coming out of their hiding, they have to be quick if they want to be successful catching a prey. It’s a positive for them with so many birds to choose from, but also a negative with so many birds to warn others.
I was standing in a spot while watching birds and taking pictures when the opportunities presented themselves. Near me were also about 120 elk, grazing or resting. To my right a Killdeer calls out, I look toward it and see it coming toward me and goshawk pursuit. The Killdeer goes past me and the goshawk turns away and then tries to go for a European Starling among the elk. The goshawk just misses it. Everything was happening so fast, there was no way to get some pictures of the action, except when the goshawk perched on a tree to get a breather. Even the birds get tired. Perched on a cottonwood tree, about forty to fifty meters away with elk between us. Even without the elk, from my past experience I was not going to be able to get too close. I took a few pictures when it looked toward me, branches without the leaves made for an interesting pattern. Soon after, it flew into the nearby woods.
