Hawk-eye

Living near a river surrounded with wilderness there are visitors to the neighbourhood we don’t see very often. This year has been an exception. Well, almost as the years of coyote sightings have ceased.

As sun fades and night rises there is an increase in birds to the garden. Mr. Cardinal always flies in seeking dinner. That makes me wonder if the Mrs. is a good cook; he’s bored with the same meal; or he’s just out for a different take-out dinner.

Mr. Cardinal is also joined with a few doves. Those doves are rather plump after feeding all year. I’m not the only one who has noticed. A hawk has decided to fly in for take-out. At first I wasn’t sure if it did the deed then after walking my garden and finding a pile of feathers I was sure it had ordered out.

So far I’ve identified it as a Coopers Hawk. Unfortunately my bird book, the 1980 edition of Roger Tory Peterson’s, A Field Guide to the Birds East of The Rockies, is a tad out of date. But! I’m sure Hawk-eye is he who perches on a tree stump staring at me at twilight.

While he watches me, I watch him, both of us beady eyed wondering just who each of us are.