The Case of the Crying Hawk

I went to the Centre Furnace Mansion on this morning to visit a favorite sycamore tree. The grounds are fantastic this time of year, green and gorgeous, full of all manner of flowers, including fancy orange lilies. The light was spectacular and I got a number of beautiful shots.

As I was prowling the grounds, I kept hearing the cries of a hawk. Just before I was ready to leave, I walked up to the top of the grounds and there sat the hawk on a pole right above my head.

Of course, it took off, and I followed. There was a little gravel road there that goes past the University's pig pens, and I followed the road out to a clearing which had in the middle of it a sub station for a local radio station. A white building sat to the left, a bunch of wires and poles to the right.

I immediately realized that there was not just ONE hawk, but TWO. As I arrived on the scene, the larger hawk came flying through the air with something in its talons: a smaller bird, I think, as an army of little birds followed in hot pursuit. (Apparently the little birds hang out there. A good feeding ground for hawks.)

Of course, I was so stunned, and it happened so quickly, that I didn't even get a single shot of the hawk carrying the creature away. I stood with my mouth open, trying to get my view finder on it, and failing, as the hawk disappeared into the tree line with its prey.

It was like a moment from the National Geographic TV special when the lioness captures the young gazelle: you are both fully horrified and delighted to witness the fierce predator in action. You know you are in the presence of Something Wild.

The hawk I had followed - the crying hawk - sat on the wires for a while, and then it folded up its wings, leaned down, and flew to my right. It sat on the pole that was full of wires, where it kept crying and crying. I have never heard a hawk who was so vocal and so loud!

In this shot the bird was sitting on the pole looking RIGHT AT ME. It knew I was there. It SAW me. I had my camera zoomed all the way out and I was wishing for a monopod or a fence pole to steady it for me. In spite of the fact that I had none, I think I got some pretty decent shots.

I stood there for about six minutes, just watching and taking pictures, fully entranced by the scene. Yes, I have an armful of bug bites to prove it. While I myself am not food for hawks, I guess I am for insects. And so the food chain goes round and round. :-)

The soundtrack for this image is about me, the girl standing there in a trance, mouth wide open, fully appreciating the magic of witnessing the wild kingdom in action. Here are the Scorpions, with In Trance.