Hawk Vs. Squirrel

The sun was out and so was I, yesterday afternoon as I got off work. I went to a park I had not been to in a few months, to check out the fall foliage and see what might be scurrying around in my absence.

So as I entered the woods, I heard some people behind me. I didn't want to be in there with them, because they were quite chatty, so I turned around so that I could get to another spot before they would. So I am walking back out, when I heard them again behind me. Are you kidding me? They too, turned around. It was like I had a shadow. What the ? So I stopped dead in my tracks and let them pass me by. Buh-bye!

Anyway, I hear a familiar cry, and try to think of what it was...A hawk. I scan the trees and see nothing so I decided to sit under a shelter and wait it out. A few minutes later, a hawk swoops down low to the ground and lands behind a tree. I thought that he must have something behind there and wait. He takes off, with nothing in his talons, and lands low in a tree nearby. I wait...

Eventually, I see a squirrel climbing around to the front of the trunk of the tree, and then here comes the hawk...The next few images are what ensued...











He missed the squirrel, but let me tell you, he missed quite a few times. He swooped back and forth for what seems like forever, and all the while, I couldn't understand why this squirrel didn't run for his life up the tree. Well, the squirrel finally started climbing the trunk and disappeared behind some branches.

So I am still waiting for the hawk to swoop back, and minutes pass. I decide to move a bit closer to see if I can see the squirrel for the upcoming shots. As I stand at a decent angle, the hawk lands in the same tree under some leafy cover. I see the squirrel just a few feet away from him on the trunk. I click away, the hawk hears me and flies off.



A few minutes later, while I was waiting for the hawk to come back, I see the squirrel drop to the ground from at least 25 feet up. I thought for sure, he was dead. A few minutes later, I see him moving on the ground, but not with ease. The hawk definately wounded him, and by the way he was moving, he got it pretty bad. The fall couldn't have been good either. I knew it was only a matter of time...

Then, guess what happens? The 2 people from earlier come walking into view and reroute their direction towards me. I can't believe it. They walk right under the tree I was aiming at, and glide right past me, even though I was off the beaten path and minding my own business. Well, it isn't hard to conclude that the hawk didn't come back, so after the people were out of sight, I went to check on the squirrel. He found cover in some underbrush along a creek bed and skittered off away from me. I knew the photo op was over, and left the poor squirrel to nature.

It's not a very good ending, but at least there is an unknown factor. I hope you can recover squirrel!

Anyway...

Can anyone tell what type of hawk this was? I know it is not a red-tailed ,but was thinking red-shouldered because it was quite large, but I couldn't see the red.