Birding On A Bike

Besides the wonderful long stretches of flat roads to ride on in Florida, there's something else I really enjoy about riding here - and that's all the wildlife I see every morning. I usually head out soon after dawn. Not only do I avoid the summer heat, but I am treated to an array of wildlife on the hunt for breakfast. Yesterday I was treated to what seemed like a short-movie of this Sharp Shinned Hawk trying to catch some HUGE dragon flies that were flitting around a small man-made pond. Most of his time and energy was spent dodging the small birds that were harassing him, and trying to avoid flying into the pond. I'm surprised he didn't turn and snag one of the little birds as 90% of their diet is usually made up of small perching birds. But, he was intent on catching a dragon fly - and after many attempts he finally did just that.
Sharp Shinned Hawks are one of my favorite little hawks. They are only about 12" tall but have a beautiful little face full of brilliant yellows, reds and earth tones. Their breast is a rich cinnamon color with tinges of tan and white. Ahhhh :-) the colors of nature.
This is an image of one I drew nearly 20 years ago. At the time it was on the Endangered Species list in Ohio. I believe it is still a protected species.