The raptor is unyielding

It's one of those days when you are at the right place at the right time, but four strikes in one morning?!  It's the magic of the taman, when avian gems pop up ceaselessly, or in this case, pop down?

And this was my third strike when this awesome raptor swooped down.  But what happened when one like an Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) found a favourite perch but the foliage was not so accommodating?

I saw this beauty flying about and it was a prayer come true when it decided to land in one of the shadiest spots of the taller trees in the taman.  It looked like it was there to simply rest because it was not at all fazed when I tracked openly below trying to secure the best angles.

And then I noticed how stubbornly it refused to move even as it looked annoyed with the branch that was brushing its face every time a strong breeze blew by.  And it was indeed entertaining to watch how this big one react and continue to hold its perch.

Finally a brief respite.

Still holding strong even as the wind blew harder going by the flapping back feathers.

After being amused for almost 30 minutes watching it I decided to walk off and hoped that it would still be around when I returned, and sure enough it was, but this time it was facing the opposite direction, a wiser move I would think to avoid the swaying branch.

But as I zoomed in on it, it instantly turned around, so much for its instinct, immediately alert to being watched from behind, which made me wonder if it had withstood the swaying branch earlier because it wanted to have a vantage view with me hovering below albeit trying to be inconspicuous.

And so back to its original stance following which it flew down immediately to a lower branch.

And looked like it was on the hunt as it scanned about.

Who would not fall in love with its majestic bearing and I couldn't be more grateful for this rare view opportunity as it landed relatively low from one tree to the other.

 

And then it struck me that it was lingering about and above the pond, which was for more than an hour now, because it was waiting for an opportunity to fly down to drink!  Unfortunately it never did have the opportunity for the park worker that was busy with a leaf blower below.

The lowest it came down which provided an opportune observation of its powerful claws.