Blustery northwest winds are blowing over the Broward. Temperatures have dipped into the low 40s in the predawn hours. Alas, winter is not yet nigh though. The forecast for the coming week is again in the upper 70s. Sure is nice to be Florida this time of the year. What is nicer is that I am munching on my stash of Reeces cups too.

I look up to see an Eagle screaming overhead. Unfortunately, this is a Florida Air National Guard F-15 Eagle. Not the feathered kind I had hoped for. A Tricolored Heron chases minnows in the outgoing tide and captures a nice fat one for a morning snack. Golden rays illuminate the juvenile Little Blue Heron as it wings by. An adult Little Blue also glides by overhead. I look over at the neighbor’s yard and spot a Red-shouldered Hawk taking a morning bath in the flooded yard. Shortly afterwards another Red-shouldered Hawk lands on the fence and stares at the bathing bird below. Seems I remember a story about a young ruler looking down on his neighbor’s wife bathing and had some not so pure thoughts. One thing then led to another. I think I shall call this pair Dave and Sheba from now on.

Red-shouldered Hawks live year-round on the Broward. This particular mating pair have been observed as long as I have been making a record. One of my recent encounters with this hawk was when it snatched a young squirrel from a nearby tree and flew off for a lunch date. Per the Cornell laboratory of Ornithology “Adults are colorful hawks with dark-and-white checkered wings and warm reddish barring on the breast. The tail is black with narrow white bands. Immatures are brown above and white below streaked with brown. All ages show narrow, pale crescents near the wingtips in flight.” Like most hawks the female is usually a bit larger than the male. The oldest-known Red-shouldered hawk was a female, and at least 25 years, 10 months old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in California in 2000.

Can you believe November is here? Time to think about pumpkin pie, turkey and dressing and seeing family and friends. Take time to see them, it is worth it. Blessings.

Reflections on Broward is now "Mountain Musings"

Dave and Sheba