This is a warm one


https://youtube.com/shorts/jFbSYtPNjU4?feature=shared

Merry Christmas! 🎄

I agree that hawks are curiously spooked by a vehicle, even if they are perched high up.  However a snowy owl on a high pole in southern Alberta would have nothing to do with us approaching in our car, taking flight when we were still quite a distance away.

Thanks doc.  I'm so very often amazed at the difference in comfort zone between a hawk and an owl.  I saw a hawk way up on a barren tree and immediately slowed my vehicle, but not abruptly so because I was deliberately moving slowly along a concession road.  That slight drop in speed was enough to compel the hawk to take off, flying in my direction, perhaps no more than a coincidence.  Except that this happened again a couple of times.  While within a car and at such a distance I cannot imagine being a threat to a hawk ... and yet ... spooked!

The hawk in the photo is a juvenile, considerably closer and also took flight in my direction.  An owl, on the other hand, will take advantage of my presence as disturbance by looking for prey that might reveal itself by my proximity.  I must also assume that I might also flush a rabbit that might have otherwise been overlooked by a hawk.  Maybe it flew in my direction because that is exactly what happened, but then thought better of it and just continued on its way.  My DSLR is a little too slow-to-focus for in-flight shots.  I imagine that the R-series Canon and Z-series Nikon bodies are much better at that task ... at least that's what I've heard.

I've encountered three RT hawks recently and they all departed on time and in my direction while respecting VFR.