Of the hawk, moths, the planet, and me....

[Skidmore]

Last night at about dusk, we returned from our local welfare club meeting. I stopped to check my herb garden out in the waning light of the day, to admire the blooming sea of four o'clocks on the side border next to the last clump of parsley, and to check the Concords on the trellis for newly ripened clusters of rich purpleness. The toads hopping among the herbs brought a smile to my lips and a swelling of gardener's pride at this sign of a healthy garden. The whirring wings in the four o'clocks caught my attention. Expecting to see the yellow striped furry coats of the bumblebees that have been busy in that bed each day, my eyes focused on two large creatures about darting between the blossoms and sipping the nectar from them. At first, I thought they were hummingbirds, but soon realized that they had feathery antennae on their heads and the double wings similar to those of dragonflies. Their heavy bodies vertically striped with ochre did not slow them down. My neighbor had stopped by and we admired a pair of moths so intent on their feeding that our nearness did not bother them. When the sun dipped below the horizon, I returned to the house still wondering that, after half a century of life, I could see a life form new to me.


A new day brought a list of errands in town to do. After fininshing the drudge work for the morning, I headed back on the county road that brings us home to our village. Setting the cruise control to 55 mi/hr as I headed out into the countryside, I settled back for the 25 mi. drive between the fields of corn and soybeans and past the farms that dot the land and stands of pine and oak and maple. A monotonous drive most days but one that seems even longer when unloading supplies at home awaits at its end. Well out of town, a quick movement caught my eye out the passenger side window and I looked over to see a hawk flying parallel to me above the ditch at the side of the road. If I had been a passenger, I could have put my hand out the window and touched him easily. My heart leapt into my throat and I held my breath. His wings beat in a slow rhythm as he maintained his pace outside my car window. For more than half a mile, the hawk and I travelled together side by side down that road. I was afraid to make any sudden moves and was so grateful there was no traffic come or going besides myself. Each feather stood out in sharp relief, each muscle rippled with the motion of flight, the gleam of his bright eye shone in the sun as the fierce but delicate curve of his beak pulled him forward. A few quick pumps of his wings and then he shot up and away into the blue fall sky and I exhaled. My eyes filled with tears of wonder that I was able to fly with my metal wings beside this great bird.


In a matter of a few hours, my garden offered a feast to a pair of magnificent moths and I was able to fly side by side with a bird of prey. The connection I felt to both of those creatures was mystical and humbling. This jewel-like planet that is home to the moth, the hawk, and me must be preserved. My grandchildren deserve a chance to fly with the hawks someday too.

[Coexist]

1. that was breathtaking.

thank you for sharing.

[TomInTib]

2. It's times such as those when we stop and reflect..

and realize that we all live on the same round ball.

So why can't we all live together?

The things that make you wonder are the same as the ones that interest me or the child in Afghanistan or the old lady in the heart of the Congo.

[MuseRider]

3. Beautiful!

Just a lovely story.

There is nothing like living in the country and I can't wait to get out there!

Thank you for a break from the usual grind and bad news.

[deaniac21]

4. I know that hawks can reach speeds exceeding 120 mph in a dive

but I didn't think one could fly at more than the high 30's in level flight. What genus?

Not to be confused with the air speed velocity of African or European swallows!

[Skidmore]

5. I'm not certain, but I think it was maybe

what my dad used to call a sparrow hawk. The feathers were gray to brown, not reddish at all. It was not one of the bigger hawks either that I've seen at the Raptor Center occasionally. I was trying not to go off the road. It was definitely a hawk though. We have quite a good population of various hawks and kestrels along the rivers and around the woodlands here, I've never been that close to one before. We definitely went along the road together for that distance and I had my car on cruise control so I'm certain of the speed.

[deaniac21]

6. Is this it?

If so it's a Grey Hawk (Buteo nitidus)

[Skidmore]

7. The color is right, much more like the bird in the second picture

and the striping along the edges of the wing feathers in the first picture is the similar as is the profile of the beak. The beak was pronounced in its shape, and not on the smallish side. Thanks for that picture.