Ostomy Memories of a Coincidence

THE RED-TAILED HAWK AND I arrived at the turn in the canyon at the same time.  I had seen him soaring around, enjoying the effortlessness of his flight and likely keeping a sharp eye out for lunch.  The long arm of coincidence had brought the two of us together as I took a seat to re-tie my hiking boots and he landed upon a long, bare branch about fifty feet away.  It was nearing noon, the sun had heated up the trail through Casto Canyon, and I had shed the outer shirt I had started out with a couple of hours earlier.  The hawk took in the scene, his head swiveling as the light breeze ruffled his feathers slightly.  He seemed to exude confidence.  He was in control of his destiny.  He would eat if he caught something, or not.  I had packed a sandwich but, ridiculously, decided I shouldn’t eat it in front of him.  There was no sign of any little critters in the immediate vicinity, perhaps due to the threatening presence of the hawk and the human.  I stood up to continue on my way and the hawk, as if in tune with me, took off and disappeared beyond a stand of juniper trees.  Although I still had a way to go before returning to the trailhead, my day was complete.  Sharing a few minutes with such a magnificent creature made my heart beat faster and I realized, as I continued on, that I had a smile on my face.  

This Painted Bunting was at my feeder a few days ago - also put a smile on my face - nature's beauty is amazing

Hi Henry many years ago i used to bow hunt for deer, and one evening while sitting in my tree standi turned slowly to my left after hearing a faint noise that i thought might be a deer coming past my stand and i was really surprised to see an owl landed on a branch a little more than arms length away what a beauty and those eyes, and when it left the wing span must have been about 3ft. across.

I like when raccoons come up the same tree you're in..... makes for an interesting few minutes once they realize the person isn't part of the tree.

Henry, I can tell you why that hawk is by you, as you hike, you're likely to make other animals move in front of you, thus the hawk is using you to help him hunt.
I'm out turkey hunting right now with my son and grandson. Listening to morning doves, crows, geese, various other birds come to life as the sun comes up. Just had 2 deer walk by. Hoping to maybe see an elk or mountain lion. Froze my cojones off yesterday and haven't seen a turkey yet. But I'm sitting here with all the wildlife enjoying the view of the Niobrara River that runs across northern Nebraska......

Gorgeous bird!  

Yeh, owls are amazing birds.  Their wingspan will surprise you.  I see them once in a while on my morning walks, and I can always hear them hooting in the trees.  I imagine they're saying "Here comes that old man again."  

Wowie, it never occurred to me that the hawk might have been using me as an accomplice in that way.  Incredible!  

I thought maybe he was staying with you because he had his eye on yoursandwich.

Terry

Hi Itsme thats why i used to like bowhunting or hunting in general as the wildlife that comes and goes around you and in the fall the smell of oak trees and poplars, lately the turkey population is exploding around here as they are showing up in backyards at bird feeders.

Nature surprises make my day, too. Having lived most my life in the rural, mid-west it wasn't hard to find several each day... now I am living in the city and I have to really use all my senses to find the surprise... but they are there!