Hawk Adventure

01-01-09 started off with some minor evening excitement. I let Monkey out the sliding glass door and noticed him standing there staring at something next to the slider -- I looked, and there was a hawk perched on our BBQ. By that time, Shasta had barged out and they both started going after the hawk which spread its wings. Then, I don't know if it tried to fly away or if the dogs got to it, but all I could see were the dogs and hawk running down our slope. I started to freak out because in my mind, all I could see was the hawks talons ripping apart the dogs. It all paused by the igloo next to the small oak tree in the back. I was desperately trying to call the dogs back to me (they weren't coming but they stopped and looked torn whether they should come to me or stay with the hawk) -- the hawk had its wings spread and mouth open posturing in front of the dogs, Derek was trying to find something to get the bird away from the dogs.

It almost seemed like there was something wrong with the hawk - we weren't sure if it could fly at all. So Derek got a shovel and flashlight (this was all in the dark) and tried to get it to move but it just stood there. By then the dogs were starting to come to me and I got them inside. We let the hawk be for awhile hoping it would just fly away.

It didn't! So a little while later, Derek and I traipsed back outside - him with the big shovel, me with a little one (I was totally freaking out! I love these birds and was so sad to think it might die if it's injured - but I didn't necessarily want to get within 2 feet of it!) But there we were, Derek and I talking to this hawk trying to tell it we wouldn't hurt it -- Derek scooped it up with his shovel, the hawk spread its wings and kind of fell backward like it could barely move - I helped support the hawk with my other small shovel best I could and then we moved him onto the other side of the fence so that we could let the dogs out without them hurting it more. It was so sad to see the hawk just lying there -- something wasn't right, but we didn't know what else to do. Admittedly, the thought came about whether we should put it out of its misery - but we just couldn't see any injuries. So we figured we would just let him be on the other side of the fence and either he would fly away, be dead in the morning, or another animal might come and take him away.

This morning - no sign of the hawk. No body, no feathers or any other kind of struggle - so we're crossing our fingers that somehow it made it. My only other thought was maybe it was a mother that had babies (but this doesn't seem like the right time of year) and wasn't going to leave them -- do hawks play possum?

Anyways, it was "exciting" -- whew!