4th July 2015

There is not a bald eagle celebrating the holiday and the summer at the Back Forty; instead, we have a bold hawk that has taken up residence around the pond.  In this picture, he is resting on a trellis post after a good meal that he devoured under the nearby grapefruit tree.

He likes frogs, snakes, mice, and anoles.  We have plenty of frogs around the pond and we consider them good for us because they hold the mosquito and bug population down.  They also serenade us at night.

We also do have some snakes around and we don't mind if he feasts on them.  Now, the anole that look like any miniature iguana is another matter.  The green anole is native and we are happy to see them,  There are also the brown and black anole that he is welcome to have for dinner; however, the anoles are working hard to catch insects  (This picture was snatched from the images of anoles on the Internet.)



We were not sure what kind of hawk this bird of prey is but I have come to the conclusion that it is a red shouldered hawk although no red is showing.  Otherwise, the coloring of the wings, breast, feet and beak are that of a red shouldered hawk.  If anyone can enlighten me, let me know.

The staff of one and I wish you all a happy and safe holiday.  Enjoy it.  But be cautious and sensible.

Thank you for visiting my Back Forty and my blog.