I love where I live

[RichardSimon]

Nice pic Herb, those red tailed hawks are great.
I have had some close encounters with them in Central Park, always a great sight.

[bnorth]

We have Red Tailed Hawks here also. A few yeas ago I was out playing a round of golf by myself. I sat down on the bench at hole 6 to take a smoke break and watch the gophers play near the back of the tee box. Then all of a sudden they took off for their holes and a hawk grabbed one just as it went into a hole. I just sat and watched from about 10 yards as the hawk struggled for about 5 minutes before it got the gopher pulled out of the hole. I thought it was very cool to watch.

[irv]

Originally Posted by herbc

It looks like a Red-Tailed Hawk.
I live in New York City, but I do have visitors who like to peek in my window.
Picture taken late Winter/early Spring, through my Living Room window.

Thanks!

What I was thinking as well but being mostly white, I wasn't sure?

Great pic of the one outside your window!

Originally Posted by bnorth

We have Red Tailed Hawks here also. A few yeas ago I was out playing a round of golf by myself. I sat down on the bench at hole 6 to take a smoke break and watch the gophers play near the back of the tee box. Then all of a sudden they took off for their holes and a hawk grabbed one just as it went into a hole. I just sat and watched from about 10 yards as the hawk struggled for about 5 minutes before it got the gopher pulled out of the hole. I thought it was very cool to watch.

With that owl hanging around, I am now more than paranoid to let my cat out in the morning!

Great Horned Owls love skunks I read, but they will also take down raccoons and porcupines so my cat would be no trouble for it.
I am usually up and out around 5:30am but I won't let my cat outside until I have my coffee in hand. I make some coughing noise, shuffle the lawn chair around etc when I do go out in hopes, if he is still hanging around, he will buzz off!
They mostly hunt around midnight so that is reassuring, but I think if they are hungry enough, they will hunt until they are fed.

I haven't seen it since and I did see another skunk the other morning, so hopefully he has flown the coop?!?!

Kittitas County, Washington - Probably the best kept secret in the lower 48. From the Cascade Mountains to the Columbia River the entire county is very rural, five minutes in any direction and you are in the middle of nowhere. My home is in Ellensburg, but during the summers I spend the majority of time at the families dry cabin in Teanaway. Winter and summer activities are plentiful; hunting, hiking, fishing, snowmobiling, X-country skiing. Lots of wildlife; the Teanaway Wolf Pack, cougars, brown bears, deer, elk, trout, bass, and salmon. Gorgeous flora; from temperate rain forest to shrub steppe, a personal favorite is berry-picking blackberries, salmon berries, and huckleberries. The beauty is only surpassed by the diversity. Far more trails than roads.

[familytoad]

Ty,
I agree that Kittitas is amazing!

I just spent the week on the road, heading to the Grand Coulee Dam area, but first went to Okanogan, via Ellensburg (only time to stop for gas there, not a visit)
Some great scenery in that county, I'd love to enjoy it further some day soon!

Overall, for those of you who haven't explored the NW...you are missing more than you could ever imagine. Give it a try and you just might not want to leave!