Yesterday while on Admiral Road in Sax-Zim Bog I saw a Broad-Winged Hawk dive into the roadside trail grass. Moments later it emerged with a vole and flew up onto a near branch. I had always thought (obviously incorrectly) that Broad-Winged Hawks needed to tear their prey apart and eat its food in chucks. Not!

Right now, if you spend any amount of time in the woods, it is highly likely you will find raptors hunting. On my way back to Duluth I discovered a flock of Northern Flickers being repeatedly attacked unsuccessfully by a pair of immature Peregrine Falcons. This particular battle went on for almost 10 minutes … fun to watch.

Here is the sequence of photographs I took of a Broad-Winged Hawk eating a vole. It then flew directly onto the other side of Admiral Road, still very near me, but into the sun. I left it hunting for more food.

I can’t believe I ate the Vole Thing! (Broad-Winged Hawk)