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CrimsonKing Jun 19, 2010 09:19 PM

Earlier this week while at work I had to go in and out of the pool/tennis ct. area many times as usual. One time I heard a rustle in the hawthorne...turned out to be this pair of amorous s. black racers....

snapped a quick pic and went about my business.
A little later they had moved things a bit higher...on to the chain-link fence of the tennis courts...

as I turned to leave I noticed a 3rd guy crashin' the party....

..and little did I realize we were all being watched...

Later as I continued to watch (when I could), I wondered if and when the hawk was gonna pick off one of the racers....
He really seemed only to be watching them. Several times the snakes got to within inches of the bird and he never did a thing...One even crawled directly beneath him and up and down the fence with no reaction from the hawk at all.
I couldn't get photos of that though since I left the cam in the van...
anyway..it makes the day less boring....

:Mark

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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Replies (5)

CarlKoch Jun 19, 2010 09:43 PM

Wow...pretty cool, Mark! Great story and photos. What kind of hawk is that? Pretty surprising it didn't pick off one of the snakes. I wonder if it would've had one crawled away from the fence.
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Carl

CrimsonKing Jun 20, 2010 05:37 AM

Karl there were a few times when one or more were on the ground away from the fence and would have been "easy pickin's".
It's a red shouldered hawk. There
s a bunch around the property..Loud birds!
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

DruckerB Jun 21, 2010 04:35 AM

Wonderful pics, Mark, wonderful scenario, and wonderful animals! Now that I'm relieved concerning evil intentions from the hawk, I would get some concern regarding people around. Did you happen to be alone at that time, or are the snakes routinely tolerated there? May I also ask you what is the location?

Kind regards,

Benjamin

CrimsonKing Jun 21, 2010 02:14 PM

Benjamin, I see them almost daily at work (both hawks and racers) but most people have no idea what's around them as you probably know. It's a very busy part of town and the complex was built 30 yrs ago (Tampa) in what used to be pristine habitat.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

DruckerB Jun 22, 2010 08:55 AM

Thanx for the info!

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