March 19, 2010 - 2
Cool sightings of the week:Last Saturday afternoon’s rain and grey skies made for good hawk watching in the backyard. Somehow, the overcast days seem to bring the hawks out more, perhaps creating an optimum condition for their hunting. Either way, I noticed a shortage of visible songbirds in the yard and began to look around. I soon caught sight a red-tailed hawk as it took off from the ground and flew almost straight up to land high in the willow tree above the pond. The hawk was fluffing its feathers and preening itself while perched thirty feet or so off the ground.
A fitting opposite to the hawk’s majestic beauty, the time I get to view them in the yard is usually short lived as they don’t seem to rest for long. A few moments later, the hawk hopped off the willow branch and dropped through the air until finding its preferred altitude and glide path. An awesome spectacle, the hawk then flew low across the ground, heading deeper into the backyard and directly through the arched willow tree.
Connecting the oasis and meadow areas with a patch of grass between them, this odd willow tree leaned over some years ago, but continued to grow, and it now has the shape of an arch or rainbow. This red-tailed hawk flew most gracefully through the arch easily surpassing my already impressed thoughts of the majestic raptor.
Also this week, a wee, little chipmunk stopped just short of running into me as it came zipping around the back corner of the garage. A sure sign of spring, I welcomed the chipmunk back from its winter slumber and wished it a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Yes indeed, you can bet a four leaf clover that having a close encounter with a friendly little chipmunk and catching sight of the aerial precision and artistry of the local red-tailed hawk this week was very cool!
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