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Project Noah Nature School
Buteo jamaicensis
This is "Maury, Jr." (that's what I call him -- don't ask me why cuz I dunno... lol!). I have been taking photos of him since he was a fledgling -- calling for his mama from a nearby oak tree. I have photos of Maury in his chick state, juvenile state, with his mate "Gladys" (again, don't ask...) and even video of him speaking "on command"! Needless to say, he is quite used to me (whom I'm sure he thinks of as "the crazy human who lives on the hill nearby") and my waving and calling to him just about every day. On the day I took this photo, however, he had been observing me from a valley oak across the field when he flew around the corner of the hill and, within a few minutes, came back and lit in the acorn woodpeckers' "granary tree" barely 15 ft. in front of me WITH a "trophy"! It was a decapitated western rattlesnake (as you can see) which he proceeded to actually HOLD UP as though showing it off to me! I got several photos like those above of this same incident. After about 10 minutes, he flew back to the valley oak where I got the last photo of him (still with his "prize")!
Oak woodlands, dry hills and chaparral.
Maury comes by pretty nearly on a daily basis and calls out when he's over my house. I run outside and wave and call to him, he makes a couple of turns over my head and then he goes off, seemingly satisfied that he's seen me, to hunt over the hill to the south...
Spotted on May 4, 2011
Submitted on Sep 8, 2011
10 Comments
i just love her spottings because she includes these little stories of her interactions with them.
What a great story.
Emma -- I remember when I first started spotting Maury, Jr.'s parents several years ago... I remember thinking to myself "Wouldn't it be something if, someday, I could really close to one of the red-tails -- maybe even close enough to reach out and touch it? OMG! That would be the high point of my LIFE if that were to happen!" Of course I knew that this was just a pipedream but just the contemplation of it was so exciting! When Maury, Jr. brought the snake, it was almost as though my cherished pipedream was fast becoming an unbelievable reality! I was thrilled! Even if I never get any closer to him, I will treasure that memory for as long as I live!
I'm so sorry about your red-tails, Steffi... I don't know what happened but to lose the company of these magnificent and noble raptors would always be a sad situation, no matter what the circumstances... I bet you DO miss them. I know I would miss Maury, Jr. terribly were he to suddenly not be a part of my life anymore.
This is so, so wonderful! Thank you for sharing this, Jean! (I wish my experience with nesting redtails had ended more happily... I miss them.)
this is such a heart warming story!!
It really IS, Karen... I feel very blessed indeed to be able to commune with our wild friends on a daily basis. :o)
Thanks so much, Ashish! I appreciate your supportiveness. :o)
Your description is considered in spotting's greatness.
I like your view towards members of Web of Life on the earth...!!
What a wonderful relationship!
Thanks so much, Ashish. Maury, Jr. and I seem to have a very special relationship and I couldn't be more pleased about that! :o)
Great spotting..!!