Amazing things in the backyard

I came home from work this evening to the sound of a crow cawing away like there was no tomorrow. Having learned to interpret Bird from watching the BBC's Life of Birds, I knew there was some large predator nearby. But what? And then I saw it: a red-tailed hawk! The crow was leaping and cawing all around the hawk trying to drive it away, but the hawk was just sitting there as calm as anything. I tried to get a picture of it through the window, but was met with only a modicum of success. Sorry for the horrible picture quality, folks, but when I tried to creep outside for an unobstructed shot, it flew away (you can thank me later, other birds):


My first thoughts once I started to get over my excitement, were for another bird family (who knew we had crow eggs/babies in the backyard? I'll have to try and track down that nest tomorrow.) we found over the weekend acting skittish and peculiar. Here's mom:


And here's dad:It turns out they have a nest with three eggs in a bush about two feet off the ground, right next to the house. That's right, three eggs! The incubation period is 11-13 days, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we have some baby birds on hand sometime next week. I'm hoping to get the canonical wide-mouthed baby bird shot, but I doubt Mom and Dad will let me get close enough.