Moment of the Day.

The Sutro Red-tail male departs into the setting sun's warm light with the bottom half of a gopher destined for the female in the nest.

Heading toward the chopping block.

Accipiters often have a place where they go to prepare prey for the young - This Buteo has adopted a similar habit of alighting on a very specific rock to eat the heads off the gophers (and pigeons) it catches.

Looking like a small bear while it ravenously tears into the gopher.

A brief visit to the chopping block reveals a bloody and varied history of meals.

On a lighter note - a nest of hungry Black Phoebe chicks and the adult with food in its bill.

Click the image to see this one larger.

An American Goldfinch launches itself from a treetop.

An insect loses out when pitted against a persistent California Towhee.

In Berkeley, earlier in the day, a Spotted Towhee rises from the undergrowth near a recently vacated Great Horned Owl nest.

Looming on the horizon, a dark shape alarms a Robin filling up on worms in Sutro Heights Park.

Heading out toward sea - pestered by the relentless Red-winged Blackbirds.

Pigeons testing fate.

They repeatedly flew near the hawk and it took a few passes at them before deciding to focus on ground based prey instead.

Banking over the baths as the sun retreats.

The female dove with wings folded, at great speed, for over a quarter mile, without changing her trajectory until she pulled up into their nest.

I was delighted to have finally found their home - hiding in plain sight with a clear view of their preferred hunting territory. Now I understand how the female could show up so soon after the male started his display flights with captured prey.

I think that light grey area left of the female is one of the hawklets... (I know - but it should be a word)