I did my December duck count at Bob Heirman park today and on the way to
Shadow lake there is an alder which has very recent, beaver workings, with
fresh chips, teeth marks, the works. I walked over towards it for a closer
look and a large dark thing moved along the top of the bank. I thought for a
moment it was the beaver. Instead it was a red-tail hawk. It hopped up on
another log, and perched with me just a few feet away. Its right wing was
obviously damaged. I stared into those large predator eyes and the gulf
between bird and monkey dissolved for a moment and I imaged soaring on the
wind, sharp eyes picking out garter snakes and rabbits quivering in the
grass. Standing so close was a privelege, an honor of the wild. After a bit
I remembered, hey I have my camera! I reached down to pull it out of the
case and the movement caused the injured bird to flop frantically down the
bank right into the little stream. It sort of hop jumped up the other bank
and then ran up over the other bank. I was quite tempted to chuck my stupid
camera in the creek, not because I missed the shot, but because for want of
a picture, I had ended my experience with the bird.

Later I saw it sort of hopping through the red canary grass.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
HYPERLINK
"http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm"http://www.nonprofitpages.com/ni
ca/SVE.htm
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