I went to Marysville today to scout a field trip for next week in the
Qwuloolt marshland. The sun was out! And I found a way to walk around in the
grassland area. I spooked up a Harrier that was on the ground and it flew
away and started hunting, so I sat on a bit of wood and watched it. It
looped closer and closer to where I sat and then it flew up and landed on an
upright bit of wood way too close. I sat still as a mouse admiring the
facial disk and handsome stripes of this low ground hunter. It took off from
its perch and flew within an arms length of my face before turning north and
continuing its hunt. Wow. Not sure if it was challenging me, or curious or
what but that was the closest I have ever been to a live wild hawk.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher