I'd been noticing that the stray cat and squirrel populations around the apartment complex seemed to be dropping. I wonder if this guy perched on the light pole next to our apartment building is the reason why? I know broad-winged hawks are one of the smaller raptors, but they're not much smaller than red-tailed hawks, and we used to watch red-tails hunt rabbits in the vacant lot next to the NPS regional office in Omaha. If a red-tail can carry off an adult cottontail rabbit, I don't think a broad-wing would have much of a problem with a kitten.
Welcome back, I missed you!
ReplyDeleteWe still have a lot of hawks up here, although the migrations have started. Some don't seem to leave that the older books say once did.
The owls are back in the garage, too.
A few weekends ago we were camping, and a young friend of mine was complaining that she never saw anything that some of the rest of us eemed to see, nature-wise.
I indicated to her that she simply had to be more obsevant. I had found two arrow heads, a couple of pottery pieces, and some beads, and this was a very much frequented spot. Everyone but me, out of over three hundred people had walked right over them, and that was just that weekend.
I also pointed out to her that she simply look around herself. I pointed out to her that she was sitting directly under a hawk's nest and that they had been very messy eaters. The detritis was all around her as were pellets. She was shocked, actually shocked.
I went through two steno pads that weekend, explaining things.
"To see a World in a Grain of Sand
ReplyDeleteAnd a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour."
All it takes is patience and keeping your eyes open.
I'd bet you're right about the numbers of small critters.
ReplyDelete