Bird of Prey, Flying High...

If you have visited me before on Crypt Stitch you will know all about the avian antics of Gothbury Manors backyard. The other day I had a new visitor. I got home from work, and the first thing I do is open the back door and let out the chooks, and feed the patiently waiting Galahs. On this day I opened the back door and was greeted with ominous silence. I'm talking hearing a pin drop silence. Which never happens but for the dead of night in my yard. No, really. Never. There is ALWAYS at least two magpie in the tree/foraging on the ground and inumerable redheads, sparrow and doves. But nothing. Perplexed, but heading toward the hen house a movement on my right caught my eye:


You should, like, SO click on the pic above and have a good look - isn't she just beautiful? When I spotted her I went, quite loudly, "huh" (ties in with the whole 'perplexed' thang). I turned around slowly, walked back inside, grabbed the camera and got these two shots in before she gracefully lept into the air, light as a feather and soundlessly flew off. I checked her out in the magical BIRD BOOK (much like a bible in my household), and she is eaither a brown falcon or a spotted goshawk, both are supposed to be found around this area, and their pictures looked similar. Isn't she just amazing? Such intense eyes, and she didn't shy from checking me out at all. It was one of those totally amazing moments we are sometimes luckily afforded. And it totally explained the complete silence and lack of movement in the yard! Ten minutes later though, it was a riot of sound and feathers. Awesome.