Hello, dolly
Tuesday November 09th 2010, 3:12 pm
Filed under: Wildlife

There were a couple of obviously sick people on my flights on Saturday and now I’m doing the cold/mild fever thing myself and taking it easy.

This morning, I got an email from my childhood friend Karen (Water Turtles shawl Karen, yes) that, though she didn’t know it and didn’t know I needed it, challenged me to be positive with her simple question, had I seen any good birds lately?

I glanced out the window wistfully, thinking,  not since the juvenile Cooper’s swooping hunt in front of me that I will forever associate with Smokey. That was really cool.

Just a few moments ago as I write this, a sense of motion caught my peripheral vision, though, and I turned: there was an adult Cooper’s with its striking blueish and white striped head, regal, huge, that had just landed on the dolly that is outside on the covered porch from where it got left out after hauling something or other back and forth to the car.  It was still there because someone (ahem) had mused to herself that it was out of the rain and you know, it might make a possible moment’s perch sometime.

Indeed.

It was facing me. Holding still.  Given its size, I’m guessing it was a female.  (They’re bigger than the males.) I admired the hawk’s long, wide-striped tail; in the moment I thought that, it casually stretched it wide for me in seeming yawning response, slightly gap-toothed to the left where a feather was growing back in. (Yeah, my hair’s been like that too after last year’s everything…)

It regarded me, turning its head to the side a bit for a closer look. It lifted one foot a little off the cold metal but not high enough to show it was relaxing the way birds do, and then having said hello to cheer me up, took off for the warmth and stealth of the tree branches.  Besides, how are you going to catch that squirrel when it’s cowering between the legs of those chairs in the way.

The squirrel reappeared under the feeder almost immediately after the hawk left.

Careful, little guy. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner here.


10 Comments so far
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I hope that you feel better soon. I always get sick when I fly too. I haven’t flown lately but am just getting over a wicked case of bronchitis. I sympathize with you… Glad you had your bird sightings to cheer you. And glad the squirrel knew when to make scarce!

Comment by Mary 11.09.10 @ 6:58 pm

You paint such beautiful word-pictures. I feel like I was sitting right there with you. Thanks for that. 🙂

Comment by Pam 11.09.10 @ 7:45 pm

Feels like “Hello” from Heaven. Hope you feel good soon.

Comment by Henya 11.09.10 @ 9:57 pm

Wow… That’s some encounter of the feathery kind. They say angels have wings, right? Hope it cheered you up. And wishing you a speedy recovery.

Comment by tinebeest 11.10.10 @ 1:23 am

My fever blisters are empathizing with you. And my Water Turtles is moving along, too.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 11.10.10 @ 6:22 am

Sending well-wishes your way! Glad you got a nice bird watching reward.

Comment by Channon 11.10.10 @ 7:33 am

Yes! Do get well soon. For more reasons than one!
Your bird descriptions really are fantastic!

Comment by Don Meyer 11.10.10 @ 9:10 am

love your description of the hawk (and the education about her too!)

drink lots of fluids, rest and get well soon!

Comment by Bev 11.10.10 @ 9:15 am

We are somewhat bird-less at the moment, as those [expletive deleted] parrots are obviously near the Arboretum and the others are being quiet. However, we had a baby possum land in our kitchen wastebasket last night, and that generated more excitement than was called for at 11:00 p.m.

Please take care of yourself and stay away from disease-plagued venues. I suggest hot lemon tea with a little honey. Of course, if you are coughing up a storm and feel like microwaved death, I’d add a little whisky to the mix. You’ll still feel awful, but you won’t care. Get better soon. 🙂

Comment by Patricia Day 11.10.10 @ 9:24 am

I live near Prairie du Sac
home of the eagle watching on the Wisconsin river, we get to view Bald eagles gliding along the river looking for dinner, they mate for life and we have seen many nesting pairs ,it is something to see. I hope you feel better soon, keep you in my prayers.If all else fails try some onion syrup.

Comment by kris 11.10.10 @ 7:02 pm



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