Disc Hawk

Today was a nice day off.  My fiance (*grin*) and I went to play some Disc Golf in Gainesville.  We were there early in the day and because it was a weekday, we almost had the course to ourselves.  More people began to show up in the afternoon.  It was a nice warm day but there was some wind that gave us a little extra challenge.  I especially enjoyed being able to take our time because there was no one waiting behind us.  I was able to look around and watch nature a little more.  Here are some things that we saw.

There were two Red-shouldered Hawks that I really enjoyed watching.  They were constantly on the move, but staying in one general area.  They would perch on the nearby pavilion or on a tree branch and then swoop down to the ground to catch a snack.  I don't know if they were after large grasshoppers or lizards or what, but they were finding a lot of them.  While we played, I kept an eye on these two hawks.  I finally realized that they had a nest nearby.  They were hunting in the area around the nest.  I am guessing that these hawks will have some eggs in that nest in the coming months.  I was a little surprised that I had never seen the hawks around before.  I guess they know how to stay hidden when the park is crowded, that's good.




A few beautiful trees had burst into bloom since we were here last.  They looked so pretty next to the blue, blue sky.


We both played pretty well today.  Our practice is paying off.  My drive is getting much longer.  I did get into a bit of trouble though.  I didn't hit as many trees as I usually do, but I hit the water a few times.  We also had a few Saw Palmettos try to eat our discs.  I really like these much better than the prickly briers that we have dealt with on other courses.


Speaking of briers.  I noticed this Greenbrier which is another relative of the prickly Smilax.  I thought that its berries were beautiful.


Near the end of the course, my fiance almost stepped on this Carpenter Bee.  It was grooming itself and seemingly smoothing its fur.  I was able to take two photos before it flew away.