Tag Archives: Birds of prey

Someone’s Spying On Me

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Have you ever felt as if you were being spied upon? Some kind of spidey sense that you’re being watched? Have you ever been out in public and turned around quickly because you felt the weight of someone’s gaze?

Yesterday I was working in the garden ‘cos there’s always a lot to do. This particular project involved a lot of weeding as well as fertilizing fruit trees and the veggie garden.

At one point I was sitting on the ground on the rocky dry river bed weeding around the rose bushes that I had successfully propagated (yay for me!).

It was quite a zen moment, totally and blissfully silent except for birdsong, but I felt as if I wasn’t alone, as if I was being watched.

Some force compelled me to turn around and look up. There he was right above me in the ash tree; this gorgeous hawk. It seemed as if his hawk eyes were boring a hole in my soul. He didn’t move an inch when I ran inside the house to get my camera. He simply followed my every move.

Look at his talons!

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

I said hello as I always do, took some photos, and continued to weed under his watchful gaze.

This went on for more than an hour. I thought he’d fly away if I moved to another spot in the garden, but he didn’t — he just turned his body on the branch to continue to monitor my every move.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

He wasn’t bothered by my presence and I was in awe of him. I struck up a one way conversation, thanking him for his diligence in keeping the yard rodent-free, asked about his family, and told him how much I appreciated his visit. I hoped he would get used to the sound of my voice and we could have another chat if he returns.

The action of a hawk watching you is a symbol of divine guidance. It often signifies a messenger from the spirit realm, a call to pay attention, or an indication that you are being guided and protected. Hawks are also associated with clear vision, focus, and the need to tap into divine wisdom. 

The hawk is a messenger bird. Usually when we see a hawk it means to pay attention because a message is coming to you. Hawks represent clear sightedness, being observant, our far memory, and guardianship. They also bring courage, wisdom, illumination, creativity and truth. Hawks give us the ability to see the larger picture in life. 

He hasn’t returned today, but it was a special moment to treasure.

Come back, friend!

Enchanting Friends

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As if on cue, summer finally arrived during the solstice with intense heat and abundant sunshine. Around Casa de Enchanted Seashells, a couple new friends visit every day.

Here’s my Red Shouldered hawk, who looks directly at me as he scouts the garden for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He’s so, so gorgeous.

He’s always on the same branch in my ash tree.

This BIG skunk is probably the same one who sprayed my neighbor’s dog not once, but twice. The photo is a bit grainy because it was almost dark and I was way closer than I should have been. If I had startled him, I’d still be bathing in tomato juice right now!

Happy Monday!

The Circle of Life | In Memoriam

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This was one of the most heartwrenching scenarios I’ve witnessed in a really long time.

Picture me in my bedroom, folding and putting away clean laundry, when from the corner of my eye, I see movement through the window. My bedroom overlooks the garden, so I have a clear view.

I had a front row seat to watch a red tailed hawk snatch a dove out of the air, mid-flight, wrestle him to the ground, and proceed to do what birds of prey do.

It all happened in a split second as I watched, mouth agape, frozen in place. I managed to grab my phone and take one not very good photo; it’s through the screen and out of focus.

Just like this guy, most hawks practice what is known as mantling. This involves the bird spreading out its wings and covering its prey, hiding it from the eyes of other animals or larger predators that may want to steal their catch.

As quickly as it started, the drama was over, and I’m left with a circle of feathers. His/her spouse was looking all over the garden for her/him for a couple of hours, which made it all even more sad.

Predator versus prey. Rest in peace, little dove.

Later on, a tiny baby bunny was sniffing the feathers with his mom nearby, at least I think it was mom. I clapped my hands so they’d run for cover because I really didn’t want to see it happen all over again. The circle of life can be brutal.

Garden Visitor: Red-shouldered Hawk

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This Red-Shouldered Hawk is perched on a palm tree just over the fence in the open space.

I often see these majestic birds of prey soar high overhead or perch like this on tree branches. Its rising, whistled kee-rah is a distinctive sound. They hunt small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.

I hope he’s looking for his next meal…he’s the very real definition of hawk-eye!

On a side note, could the sky BE any bluer? I think not.

(PS All photo credit to Enchanted Seashells)

Night Owls 🦉

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I share my world with coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, possums, lots of bunnies, even more rats, and an assortment of birds including scrub jays, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, hawks, egrets, and herons.

And owls.

Late at night I’m lucky to hear the hoots of a mating pair of Great Horned Owls in the tallest eucalyptus trees. It’s a soothing sound as I fall asleep, the hooting of owls in the distance.

Last night was different. I was awakened at 2:30 a.m. with the sound of that distinctive hoo-hoo-hoo only MUCH closer. Even through a closed window, it was LOUD, and so was the answering call.

This back and forth conversation didn’t stop for an hour and it was impossible to get back to sleep.

I learned that owls lay eggs in March, so maybe that’s what the chat was all about. My around the corner neighbor has an owl box, so that’s a logical thought.

Hopefully, they took turns hunting all the rats and mice around here, too.

Symbolically, hearing owls at night provides protective energy. The spiritual meaning of hearing an owl could be that it’s important to establish energetic boundaries.

Owls use their excellent hearing, keen eyesight, and silent wings to hunt and keep safe. So when our vision fails us in life, the owl’s call at night symbolizes protection and guidance. Hearing an owl at night can represent gaining a new direction in life.

Owls use their calls to claim their territory, to signal that there’s a predator nearby or to communicate with their partner.

The meaning of hearing two owls is related to spiritual enlightenment. An owl is the ultimate symbol of wisdom and maturity.

Two owls hooting is a sign that you’re in the middle of strong spiritual energies and you need to let them lead you into the changes your soul is going through.

It’s a reminder to open your heart and embrace the changes.

Higher forces have recognized it, so they’re sending you owls, as a dose of additional energy to move forward.

Owls are always carriers of important messages. If you’re wondering what it means to hear two owls late at night, the answer lies in the way you observe things around yourself.

Owls want you to change your perspective about recent events and try to discover why they really happened. There’s a hidden message behind it and you need to discover it.

If you hear an owl hooting near your house and wonder: “What does it mean when an owl hoots outside your house?”, the answer will cheer you up: an owl outside your house is considered to be a signal of good luck.

Owls are observed as highly spiritual animals and their hooting can only bring positive vibes to you.

Although different cultures have different interpretations of owl symbolism, almost every culture treats owls as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. joyceelliot.com

I’m tired today, but always find joy and gratitude in my wild friends.

It’s almost time for the March full moon and the night sky is clear and bright.

Bird of Prey

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I wonder if this is the same hawk or a family member. Look at those talons!
It seems as if they no longer care if I’m outside and simply carry on with their business.
How cool is that?

Through the Window: Red Shouldered Hawk

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My kitchen window is an ever-changing movie screen.

Throughout the years, it’s been the best location to view all kinds of memorable events; observing the original Angel Boy in his sandbox, throwing balls for his Border Collie, skating with his friends on the half pipe while they ate the cookies and drank the smoothies I’d bring out to them, to the fresher 2.0 versions enjoying mango-black cherry ice cream cones and playing baseball in the garden or chasing butterflies, to birds and bunnies and coyotes and bobcats, (never forgetting the rats).

Today I saw a beautiful Red Shouldered Hawk perched on a low branch in the ash tree surveying the lawn for a late lunch.

Now I know where the feathery treasures come from. I’ve been finding them where I had first seen the rodents and I had a hunch they might be silent gifts–messages to communicate that my vermin problem is being taken care of, and I think I’m right!

Red Shouldered Hawks are about 17-24 inches tall and can live 15-20 years. So regal, so lovely, so important to the balance of nature. We need to protect them and their habitats, too.

I saw him fly away but wasn’t quick enough to focus the camera to capture the incredible wingspan.

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Eagle Eyes

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My son sent me this photo of a bald eagle from Whidbey Island. He said he looked up and there it was looking right at him!

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Sometimes it’s what you don’t see

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Right this minute, there’s nothing to see here except for a fence and a pine tree.

Not a bad view as far as views go, but it’s what happened seconds BEFORE I snapped this pic that makes it memorable.

For me; sadly, not for you.

So it’s a memory stored somewhere in my hippocampus and now hold on a sec, I need to save this draft and swiftly do some research to make sure I’m right.

OK, I’m back and here’s what Google taught me…

Deep inside the medial temporal lobe is the region of the brain known as the limbic system, which includes the hippocampus, the amygdala, the cingulate gyrus, the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the epithalamus, the mammillary body and other organs, many of which are of particular relevance to the processing of memory.

I’m right; memories are stored in the hippocampus.

Use your imagination because I’ll try to explain what you didn’t get to experience:

In the photo, if you pretend you can see what you can’t see, the bottom of the fence that you can only see about half of, there’s a potting table.

I was standing there planting lavender that I had propagated myself. I’ve been doing that for years with a decent amount of success, and it was time to birth another lavender baby.

I wasn’t making a lot of noise, but I wasn’t quiet, either…I was fully immersed in the whole procedure, enjoying the blueblue sky and eighty-five degree weather.

There was a cooling mug of ginger tea next to me and next to that was my phone.

I looked up as two doves flew out of that pine tree.

At almost precisely that same exact time. a HUGE redtailed hawk (who must have been stalking the doves) perched himself on the the fence.

He was LITERALLY INCHES AWAY FROM ME.

I mean, if I had longer arms, I could have reached out and touched his beautiful feathers.

REALLY REALLY.

His golden eyes looked right at me and they widened, as if he was surprised-like WTF human–but he wasn’t nearly as astonished as I was. I froze. We stayed that way, eye to eye, gazing at each other for an eternity of probably less than five seconds before he launched himself off the fence and flew away. There was no fear, simply the connection between the hawk and myself.

It was a MOMENT.

I am not at all kidding; to look into the mystical magical gaze of a hawk and see the recognition that he was trying to make sense of the encounter as much as I was–is HUGE.

Moment-ous. Important.

Regretfully, no pics to share. But I’ll never ever forget the way he looked at me. Eye to eye.

I read that November 11, 2018 is a memorable time in this Universe. If you believe in things like this, it’s SIGNIFICANT.

And I believe that my hawk experience was significant, too. And if not, it was so so beautiful and made me happy and joyful and grateful. All good stuff.

Happy Sunday, y’all!

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