Back to the blooming desert....
The flowers are still blooming; the caterpillars are fattening up and the Swainson's Hawks are on the move.
These beautiful hawks winter in South America and travel thousands of miles north in the Spring. Some are dark and others are light. When they fly directly overhead, they are easier to identify.
When they are spots in the sky, it is harder to distinguish them from other birds like this Red-tailed Hawk which sometimes joins the kettle of Swainson's Hawks. However, the official counters at the Hawk Watch don't seem to have any trouble even when they are mere specks.
Hawks aren't the only ones feasting on caterpillars. This Horned Lark enjoyed one before I "caught" him.
It is an exciting time in the desert! Wildflowers and masses of migrating hawks! Tonight I heard over 600 hawks have arrived from the south....Tomorrow will be a great day to be on a hawk watch!
