Swainson's Hawks

This pair of Swainson's Hawks were perched and screeching for about 20 minutes; according to a colleague of mine, that indicates they had an eyas or fledging on the ground. Swainson's Hawks are also known as Grasshopper Hawks or Locust Hawks because their diet is not limited to small rodents but includes grasshoppers and dragonflies; this could would explain why they stayed for about a week, there is a large dragonfly population across the road from where they roosted.
The dark coloring of the male is unusual when compared with the majority of Swainson's Hawks.

Tiny Snake

I found this snake slithering into a hole on the riverbank, I caught it and told it that I needed a picture then set it down and I got one shot. The Western Terrestrial Garter Snake went into the nearby river then it warily watched me as I finished with the photos. In these photos the snake is about life size, if it was stretched out it might be six inches long.

A friend of mine suggested the snake looked like a pirate with the spot of green covering its eye.

Birds

I work across the Provo River from the East Bay Golf Course and there are many types of birds that winter on the partially frozen river. Apparently, geese and ducks have a special vein and artery system that helps keep their blood flowing even in subzero temperatures.

On the other hand, I foolishly took most of these photos with sandals and no coat.



I've had a lot of fun taking these photos, I hope you enjoy them.

The bird below is called an American Avocet.





Here is a link to my complete bird gallery, let me know what you think. NathanTGross.com