Thursday, April 5, 2012

Vole, One, Redtail Hawk, None

I was driving home from my cleaning job at the golf course.  I was cruising the outbound road when a redtail hawk swooped down and across the pond.  I hit the brakes since I thought she might be flying low across the road.  She dropped onto the short grass between the road and the pond.  I then saw a little rodent hopping away.

As she dropped from the sky, I could see her buff underbelly and the bands of black on the underside of her tail and her magnificent outstretched talons. Such a privilege to see her so close up and personal.  Amazing to catch all the action as it unfolded.

The redtail sat on the ground and looked at me as I sat in my stopped vehicle.  We gazed at one another for a bit.  She finally flew off to the south, opposite of the way I was headed.  A couple of cars went around me.  One lady was craning her neck to see what I was looking at and they both probably thought "What a nutty woman."

Strangely, these intense wildlife encounters are the moments I carry with me for years.  I will enjoy remembering this for a long time to come.

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