Hawks and faith

We have several hawks in our neighborhood this year, but next to no redtails. (Very unusual.) In our yard we’ve seen both a juvenile Cooper’s hawk (nabbing a robin) and a mature one (nabbing a chipmunk). The others are broad-winged hawks, a pair. They are very vocal, and often they circle high in the air, emitting their shrill, “squeaky door” call (as my daughter puts it).

We have love-hate relationships with these hawks, as I wrote about here. The fun part is watching the two broad-wings flying together, and occasionally diving at one another. At first I thought it was a territorial thing, but we see them together so often that I almost think it’s merely play.

We heard them today as I was making lunch, and Younger Daughter wanted to go outside and look for the hawk. “Go ahead,” I said.

A few minutes later she called in, “It’s very close! I know right where it is! Get your camera!”

Yeah yeah, I thought. Several times I’ve tried to capture them flying, but it’s so difficult I haven’t succeeded. “It’s too hard when they’re flying,” I replied.

“No, it’s sitting! On a branch! Really close!”

Older Daughter and I grabbed cameras and dashed out the back door. There he was, screeching.

If only my camera has focused on him and not the leaves. :-(

When we got inside, I thanked YD for calling us. “I’m the eagle-eye,” she replied proudly.

“Actually, today you didn’t really have an eagle eye. He was very close. Today, what you had was faith. Mommy thought it wasn’t worth looking for the hawk, and you did, and you didn’t give up till you saw him. You had faith. And Mommy and [sister’s name] got to see him too because of it.”