Ravens are ever-present near Ocean Beach. This one allowed me a close approach while it vocalized.

Two Red-shouldered hawks hunted together a few blocks from the San Francisco Zoo.

A hunting foray leads to nothing but the approach from above is careful and measured.

Relocating in the ocean breeze.

Blackbirds emerge from over the rooftops to hound the Red-shoulders.

Persistence is sometimes met with resistance In this case the blackbird is simply ignored.

From the south comes a mature Red-tailed Hawk...

and it is set upon immediately by the ravens.

Then, surprisingly, a Red-shoulder teams up with the Ravens to try and drive off the new hawk.

When the hawk came to rest it faced the wrath of both the Ravens and this scything Red-shoulder which mobbed with great speed and precision.

Here it approaches stealthily and and quickly, banking so hard its wings are actually inverted.

Another attempt to dislodge the intruder, this time from above.

Taking to the air to escape the onslaught.

The Ravens are not far behind. Glancing over its shoulder to track the pursuers, the hawk reveals the injury to its left eye.

Wing to wing, roof to roof, streetlight to streetlight.

Harshly aggressive.

Trying to hunt was futile with the constantly cawing entourage.

With a moment of peace the one-eyed hawk tries again - this time flying within 2 feet of my face, talons out, enroute to the target.

At this point you just put the camera down and watch the giant bird float by you.

The bird seemed to be misjudging distances and I began to worry about its hunting prowess... but the size of the hawk reassured me that it hadn't been missing too many meals.

In this instance the gopher was too quick and the hawk dug deeply into the hole without success.

Cruising the streets with a pesky chipping blackbird in tow.

Relocating down the street to try his luck elsewhere.

Back to the rooftops and shadowed yet again by the Ravens.

Evading the raven while avoiding trees, power lines, buildings, and other urban dangers, like traffic.

A hunt starts out with a casual departure.

Displaying the weird habit that probably led to his injury, the hawk grasps its still wriggling prey in its bill almost immediately after seizing it.

Relocating with the gopher.

I was relieved after 2 hours to finally see him secure a meal.

Landing with prey.

Hungry enough to devour it in one gulp.

Joined quickly by a displeased blackbird...

and its mate.

Another hunt just produces a foot full of iceplant.

Gracefully returning to the streetlight and seeming more at ease after the meal.

Cruising by at eye level keeping track of movements in the grass.

The one-eyed hawk was still cruising the neighborhood when I decided to retire from my day at the beach.

Close this window to return to the BIRDLIGHTWIND main page.