(fri jan 4th 2008)
today, as i pulled out of the driveway, i saw a beautiful red-tailed-hawked perched in the bare branches of a tree. i recognized this beautiful bird as the same i saw about a week ago, in the same spot. that time, i was with my friend jennifer and our kids, and when i stopped the car to get a better look, the hawk flew away. today though, i was alone, so i stopped the car as quitely as possible, and sat in stillness, looking at him. it was only a few moments, but i felt very lucky to be in his presence. i tried to open the window so i could be closer to him, but when i did that, i saw him shift on his feet, then slowly open his wings and fly away. he swept slowly overhead, as if he wanted me to have a good look at him. definitely a large bird, probably over 1 ft tall and maybe 4 ft full wingspan, his tail a deep rust color. i followed him as far as i colud with my eyes, as he flew over the field and into the woods.
i've been in somewhat of a slump since nap-time yesterday, feeling sad and a little hopeless; but seeing him washed me clean. there was so powerful a presence about him.
actually, i often noticed that just as i get overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions, something unexpected happens, and i feel alright again.
like i'll see the hawk, or i'll sit under the tree in front of our house on a dark, foggy night and listen to the deer snorting in the field, and the wind creaking through the branches, and somehow, i end up feeling that everything is ok, and i'm renewed.
a few hours later....
as i pulled in the driveway, i could see the red-tailed hawk in the same tree he had been sitting in earlier. as soon as i got onto the driveway though, he flew away, over my neighbor's house and into the woods.
i drove to the house, parked the car and walked over to the mailbox. i must've been in a haze, because i didn't notice anything; so i was really surpsised, when all of a sudden, another, smaller hawk flew up right in front of me, off the ground and up into a tree. he was so close to me, i was obviously disturbing him, and when i looked, i saw from what - he was eating one of our chickens, whcih he must've killed not long before i got there. i could see that he has struck the chicken on the side of her neck. she had a deep gash there, but the rest of her body was intact.
now the hawk was perched in a tree right above me, obviously waiting for me to get out of there, so he could finish his meal. i felt sorry for our chicken, but also somewhat fascinated by what was going on. i checked to see if any other chickens were killed, and i found the remaining 2 hidden in the bushes. i genltly picked them up and put them in their coop. i think they feel safe in there. when i came back to where the dead chiclen was, the hawk was still up in the tree, waiting. i thought that i should just go in the house and let him finish the chicken undisturbed. but i wanted to have a good look at him first. it was a different hawk than the one i had seen earlier. much smaller, even smaller than the chicken it had just killed. it also had different markings. after looking it up in the bird book, ed and i think it's a cooper hawk. i stood by the tree for a while, looking at the hawk, who was cocking his head from side to side looking at me. we were checking each other out. finally,i walked back into the house.
after 10-15 minutes,when things were calm again outside, i looked out the window and could see that he had come down from the tree and was eating the chicken. it was pretty amazing witnessing this, and it was also interesting to notice my reactions (ranging from feeling sorry for the chicken to admiration for the hawk) and to realize that it doesn't matter how i feel or react, because things will simply take the course they must take.
by the time ed came home, there was still some chicken left, but the hawk had left. we left the chicken out there overnight, assuming that a fox or coyote would come and take it away. it was gone this morning, so something did come, but it was hard to tell what bc the snow is hard and there are no tracks.
so out of 6 chickens, we only have 2 left. besides the one we lost yesterday, we lso had 3 killed by a fisher cat a month or so ago. i guess we'll keep the last 2 in the coop for a while, esp with all the hawks around. but they don't really like being in there for too long, they like roaming and pecking at things outside. so they'll be out again soon, and we'll just have to hope for the best.
today, as i pulled out of the driveway, i saw a beautiful red-tailed-hawked perched in the bare branches of a tree. i recognized this beautiful bird as the same i saw about a week ago, in the same spot. that time, i was with my friend jennifer and our kids, and when i stopped the car to get a better look, the hawk flew away. today though, i was alone, so i stopped the car as quitely as possible, and sat in stillness, looking at him. it was only a few moments, but i felt very lucky to be in his presence. i tried to open the window so i could be closer to him, but when i did that, i saw him shift on his feet, then slowly open his wings and fly away. he swept slowly overhead, as if he wanted me to have a good look at him. definitely a large bird, probably over 1 ft tall and maybe 4 ft full wingspan, his tail a deep rust color. i followed him as far as i colud with my eyes, as he flew over the field and into the woods.
i've been in somewhat of a slump since nap-time yesterday, feeling sad and a little hopeless; but seeing him washed me clean. there was so powerful a presence about him.
actually, i often noticed that just as i get overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions, something unexpected happens, and i feel alright again.
like i'll see the hawk, or i'll sit under the tree in front of our house on a dark, foggy night and listen to the deer snorting in the field, and the wind creaking through the branches, and somehow, i end up feeling that everything is ok, and i'm renewed.
a few hours later....
as i pulled in the driveway, i could see the red-tailed hawk in the same tree he had been sitting in earlier. as soon as i got onto the driveway though, he flew away, over my neighbor's house and into the woods.
i drove to the house, parked the car and walked over to the mailbox. i must've been in a haze, because i didn't notice anything; so i was really surpsised, when all of a sudden, another, smaller hawk flew up right in front of me, off the ground and up into a tree. he was so close to me, i was obviously disturbing him, and when i looked, i saw from what - he was eating one of our chickens, whcih he must've killed not long before i got there. i could see that he has struck the chicken on the side of her neck. she had a deep gash there, but the rest of her body was intact.
now the hawk was perched in a tree right above me, obviously waiting for me to get out of there, so he could finish his meal. i felt sorry for our chicken, but also somewhat fascinated by what was going on. i checked to see if any other chickens were killed, and i found the remaining 2 hidden in the bushes. i genltly picked them up and put them in their coop. i think they feel safe in there. when i came back to where the dead chiclen was, the hawk was still up in the tree, waiting. i thought that i should just go in the house and let him finish the chicken undisturbed. but i wanted to have a good look at him first. it was a different hawk than the one i had seen earlier. much smaller, even smaller than the chicken it had just killed. it also had different markings. after looking it up in the bird book, ed and i think it's a cooper hawk. i stood by the tree for a while, looking at the hawk, who was cocking his head from side to side looking at me. we were checking each other out. finally,i walked back into the house.
after 10-15 minutes,when things were calm again outside, i looked out the window and could see that he had come down from the tree and was eating the chicken. it was pretty amazing witnessing this, and it was also interesting to notice my reactions (ranging from feeling sorry for the chicken to admiration for the hawk) and to realize that it doesn't matter how i feel or react, because things will simply take the course they must take.
by the time ed came home, there was still some chicken left, but the hawk had left. we left the chicken out there overnight, assuming that a fox or coyote would come and take it away. it was gone this morning, so something did come, but it was hard to tell what bc the snow is hard and there are no tracks.
so out of 6 chickens, we only have 2 left. besides the one we lost yesterday, we lso had 3 killed by a fisher cat a month or so ago. i guess we'll keep the last 2 in the coop for a while, esp with all the hawks around. but they don't really like being in there for too long, they like roaming and pecking at things outside. so they'll be out again soon, and we'll just have to hope for the best.
(the pictures above are of the hawk perched in the tree and of him eating the chicken).
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