A Hawk Tale

First... please remember Deb at Three Little Pugs tonight... she and Butch 

have lost their friend of 18 years, Dietzman the Cat... aka "Meanerthanhellcat Dietzman"... and they are grieving for him.  Butch brought him home to be buried in their pet cemetery in their yard, 

but it's hard to see an old friend cross the Bridge. 

We're thinking of you, Deb and Butch, and Stella Rose, Angus and Maggie, who are looking for their friend tonight. 

I linked you not to her updates from the weekend and this morning... but to 

Dietz's last posting on Friday... that was the true Dietz, not the failing boy 

who just made it through the weekend. 

We're thinking of you, Deb. 

Yes, he really looked like that. 

So, I promised you a hawk tale, and you will have one. 

This beautiful hawk lives over on 175th Street. (a gravel road) 

Several times, I have started by and found him sitting in this tree in the front yard of a house. 

I think he is probably pretty young.. see the bars on his tail? 

I have stopped twice to take his picture, and he usually sits there calmly, casting an eye on 

me once in a while... but otherwise, ignoring me  I don't wait for him to fly... I thank him and move on. 

So, yesterday, I turned the corner early, and saw this... and sorry, the pictures are not going to be closer. 

You can only see three here, but there were four hawks in an altercation over a field at the side of the road. 

Still couldn't get the fourth in the camera. 

Then, all of the sudden, one broke away and flew in a straight beeline for the tree, where I was parked again! 

It was the same hawk.  

He warily looked around him, before and behind, to make sure none of the other birds was sneaking up on him, but the other three dispersed. 

He let me take his pictures again, and then I drove home with the dogs. 

So, tonight... I turned the corner on 175th and hit the gravel... and as I went up the road I saw a hawk sitting on a fence post on the east side of the road. 

(yes, we are back under cloud cover). 

That's the same bird.  He has some feathers on his back ruffled from the combat, it 

appears.  He's probably being driven off by his parents. 

First I parked 15 feet from him.  

Then I pulled up to about ten feet.  Oh, he knew I was there. 

He was watching for prey... but also probably for the adults to come back. 

He had a little itch.  At this point, I was about 8 feet from him, and he still was not freaked out. 

Check out the talons.  

He hung this one leg down for a long time.  See the loose 

feathers on his back?  I think he took a beating yesterday, just like the 

lighter juvenile I've been watching. 

When he pooped, I thought he was getting ready to fly. 

But he actually sat for ten more pictures. 

Then, he decided to take off. 

Wow. 

Jester, Lilly and I were pooped and hungry, and at this point, we 

went home.  

Tomorrow Keith has a medical procedure under anesthetic... will you all think of him about 

midday?  Thanks!