The Swainson's Hawk in the top pic has the usual brownish bib. It is standing in the same field as the hawks in next two pics which show the hawks using hay bales for perches. These recently cut hay fields provide serve as essentially 'fast food restaurants' for migrating hawks since many larger insects (and possibly mice or gophers) have been chopped up by the cutting blades so are pre-processed for consumption by hawks. There are usually many others live insects including grasshoppers that the hawks will chase down by walking or even running after then pouncing on them--this is most amusing to see. Though I haven't seen any this time, hawks will follow farm implements in fields in order to catch rodents trying to escape. 
Currently three are hundreds of butterflies--yellows and some whites-in all the alfalfa fields. They seem fairly small for a Swainson's Hawk to eat but Birds of North America online does state that at least in winter they consume butterflies so maybe they eat these too? SeEtta 
0 comments:
Post a Comment