Steven (the golden fish), I found the shots of the Hawk and it was just over a year ago on 29th August '08. I don't know if they go to warmer climes in Winter, I haven't looked up their habits but if it's the same one, it's here again, same place, same time!
As I said, the photos are poor, as it was about 5pm on a dull day, so the light was fading. The Hawk and the Crested Pigeon had just crashed into the window with an almighty bang and our dear little pigeon friend was lying there and Hawky had flown on to the roof to recover. I was as jittery as it was but grabbed the camera to show DMJ the event when he came home.
I went out there, which, in hindsight, was a stupid thing to do and it swooped me, I ducked and it landed on the doorstep. I picked up the pigeon, our Woo (that's how they communicate with us, 'woo, woo') and took it around to our laundry sink. I buried it later. DMJ said that I should have left it there for the Hawk but I couldn't bear the thought of it being carried off! I know, I'm a sook!
Poor 'Woo'
16 comments:
Alaine:
I totally sympathize. It is so hard for good samaritans to let nature do what it does - sometimes. You were very sanguine throughout - not sure I could have been.
Hi Alaine
It is hard to watch nature at work sometimes and not want to intervene...
It always makes me think of the Watchtower magazine cover where the lion lies down with the children and the world is picture perfect...ha! How contrary to nature is that myth...
What kind is your eagle...do you know?
Happy days
Hello Bonnie, I don't think I'll do that ever again knowing now that I could have lost an eye or been clawed badly!
Hi Delwyn, do you think it's an eagle? We have wedge-tails around here but they're a lot bigger. Also Whistling Kites but we only hear and see them up high. I'm pretty sure it's a Hawk.
It looks like a hawk to me. It is hard to watch survival of the fittest being put in action. I watched a sharp-shinned hawk snatch a cardinal in flight in my backyard once. It was awesome in its power and majesty! But I did feel sorry for the hapless bird.
Hi Alaine,
We see hawks of some kind around here every once in a while. I'm not good at identifying birds of prey: hawks, kestrels, buzzards, kites, eagles - who knows! And I wouldn't want to get close enough to find out!
hi alaine - can you believe that you were a part of that story?!!! wow!! you've got to assume that the hawk was so utterly focussed on the pigeon that it lost sight of its surroundings!!! i asked my daughter what she'd do because i thought that if it were dead i'd leave it for the hawk. she said it was "too sad to think about...." thanks for this amazing post alaine. steven
Oh I am with you! I won't be able to rest with the thought of poor Woo being carried off as dinner. In the wild it is okay, they are all nameless but Woo has entered a different zone. My Mother once reprimanded us for naming the pigs she raised. She said it was difficult to sell the pigs and us kids crying and saying goodbye to Pinky or Brownie or Spot. We also named our chickens. Any animal we named was allowed to live to old age and was buried in the family pet plot.
Hi Alaine,
thank you for visiting my blog; I like what I've seen of your blog and will be coming over again soon. I've put you into my bookmarks so i won't lose you. We seem to have a lot in common.
Actually, I am sorry to say this, you should have left the pigeon for the hawk, it was his legitimate prey. 'nature red in tooth and claw', you know. I am finding it terribly hard to do, when it happens here; we have birds flying into windows frequently, the bird feeders are close to the house and the sparrow hawk sometimes picks one off.
Susan and Derrick, they are wonderful to watch. We could set up a chair out there in the paddock and be entertained all day!
Steven, recalling the day and seeing the shots, what was I thinking?!!
Ces, I know what you mean; I used to name our chooks and then watch Mum chopping their heads off!!
I used to worry about our little Pugalier when he was a tiny puppy with the wedge-tail eagle circling overhead; he looked so much like a little rabbit.
Hello Friko, thanks for visiting and your comments.
I said just recently to someone that the birds give you a lot of joy but there is a lot of sadness as well; we have a many 'cripples' coming in for extra attention, as they're disowned by the flock.
I loved your post on Sei Shonagon and the Pillow Book yesterday. It's a lovely story; I found quite a detailed account on kyotojournal.org.
Poor woo. We sometimes have cardinals & even hummingbirds flying into our windows. Thankfully none have ever been killed.
Hawks do migrate and they have particular areas where they like to habitat, so this could well be the same one from last year especially since he likes to perch on your roof.
Hello Lizzy, the hawk doesn't usually perch there, it flew up there to recover after slamming into the window. Before it flew up there I thought I had two dead birds, it was so still.
A bird lover like me.
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