Cardinals & Red-Shouldered Hawk

upon your wing a blush - male cardinal

"Available"

"Is love a tender thing?" William Shakespeare

Winter weary perhaps but upon your wing
a blush, a flush of red;

a promise

of springtime and tender love
from one crested and full of whistling song

who lost his mate of late

to rapacious rival; swooped in low and fast
and seized her heart;

but surely

as Aquarius makes way for Pisces, so to
does winter's ever-beating march toward spring.


by Margaret Bednar, February 13, 2015

crested and full of song - male cardinal

Rapacious Rival aka Immature Red-Shouldered Hawk 

I was thrilled to watched this hawk (which I think is a young red-shouldered hawk - correct me if I'm wrong) perch and occasionally course through my backyard woodlot this afternoon.  And boy did he (or she) shock me when he decided to glide over my new bird feeder and go after a female cardinal!   The hawk was gliding much faster than she took off - but they flew out of my view of the window frame and I can only hope she made it to the bushes.

I KNOW, hawks need to survive too, but I did move my birdhouse to a safe alcove by my other window and a few more bushes and trees for security.

All photos were taken from inside my house.