birds in India

I have been searching this afternoon on the internet trying to find the amazing birds I saw in India and I think I finally found it:

http://www.pbase.com/ingotkfr/blackcapped_kingfisher
http://www.pbase.com/cajuca/bc_kingfisher

I saw this bird in two different parts of India. Once as I was talking a bucket bath in the Pipli Boy's Home in Orissa. By the time I dried off and got my camera it had flow away as it was sitting on an electric line visible from the second floor window.

The second time I saw it was when we were walking along the Ganges. I tried to get close enough with my disposable camera to take a good photo and it flew away.

What an amazing bird.

hawk : up close and personal

As I started my run this morning, I saw a hawk fly in front of me and then landed in a tall pine tree next to the road. At the end of my run I went back the same way and the same hawk was resting on the top of the street sign and remained there as I ran by. When I got home I looked it up in our bird book since I got such a close view from 20 feet away and it was a Red-tailed Hawk. We have heard a hawk flying around the back of our house for weeks now, but last weekend we heard him no more. As my wife and I walked in the neighborhood across from our house, we heard that same distinct noise of the hawking yelling. I think it must be the same hawk, but that is hard to know for sure. It sure is a thing of beauty.