Low sun angles can sometimes make bird idenification difficult. I arrived in Louisa County around 2:45 in the afternoon, and did some birding near and in Bracketts Farm, but only saw a handful of species. I was hoping to see raptors and Short-eared Owls along East Jack Jouett Road, but the bright sun meant that the owls wouldn't be out until after sunset, and I wasn't sure if they were still in the area or had migrated.
I returned to the area a little before 6:00 p.m. I met another birder who had just moved here from Colorado, and we hiked in the field where I had permission from the land owner. All of a sudden, a raptor appeared. At first I thought it was a Short-eared Owl because of its tinge of yellowish-orange, but it was a male Northern Harrier bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
Northern Harrier
Now it was starting to get even darker when another bird appeared. It was a good distance away, but its very orange breast made me think female Northern Harrier, especially since we had just seen the male, but after processing the photos, I see that was a Short-eared Owl bathed in the reddish-orange light of the sun as it dropped below the horizon.
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
I decided to hike here in Old Trail, and spent most of my time in the marshy wetlands area. As I was nearing the end of my hike, one of our resident Red-shouldered Hawks flew from a low tree in the wetlands to a perch high up above ground level.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
I hiked in its direction, as that was the direction I was already heading to end my hike. I stopped to take a few photos of the hawk, and estimate that I was 300 to 400 feet away. The hawk was looking around, and spent a good deal of time looking in my direction. I assumed that it was just keeping an eye on me.
Red-shouldered Hawk
All of a sudden, the hawk took off and headed in my direction. It landed on the side of a hill in foot tall grass just a short distance in front of me, and then took off with a mouse in its talons. Incredible eyesight that these raptors have!
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
YUM!