And, there it sat...

...on my lattice-work gate.

One day last week I was in my living room and glanced out one of the windows and saw a rather large, dark brown blob sitting on one of the posts of my lattice-work fencing closing off my patio.  "What the heck?" I thought.

I walked slowly, closer to the window and made out the shape of a rather large bird.  By now my curiosity had piqued and I walked up to the window.  There, about twenty feet away was a hawk.  He sat almost like a statue for quite a while, then began hopping about my lawn art and back again to the lattice-work post.  He made himself quite at home.  I watched in wonder, studying him closely, color, size, anything that might help me recognize what kind of hawk he was.

As I went to get one of my bird books I realized all the other birds that my neighbor feeds had become very quiet...not one single bird could be heard...'smart birdies' I think to myself.  By the time I got back to the window the hawk was sitting complacently on the post, turning its head ever alert for other bird activity...there was none.

I was glad the hawk felt so at home because it gave me the opportunity to study it quite closely.  I noticed it had bright yellow eyes, with black pupils.  Its chest was mottled white and sunny, warm tan and the tail was banded with broad dark brown stripes.  By comparing the bird with the pictures in my bird book I'm pretty sure this was a Cooper's Hawk, not just from the features, but also the size; the book stating the mature hawk is 14 to 20 inches in length.  This bird was definitely over the 14 inch size, but nowhere close to 20.  Therefore, because the coloring was so bright I figured this was probably a young male, more mature than a fledgling but by no means an adult.

As time went by I think once or twice it caught sight of me, but was not at all intimidated he simply sat or hopped about, patiently waiting for a meal...

...one finally showed up.

All the birds remained quiet, when suddenly something flew into my peripheral vision, uh-oh. That hawk flew so quickly the tiny bird hardly had a chance to land on the ground before the hawk was upon it, and flew away with lunch.  So much for the survival of the fittest and the circle of life.

Several days later I saw my neighbor who feeds the birds and told her about the hawk.  She frequently allows her cats to sun on her deck and although I'm sure the hawk was not large enough or strong enough to carry one of her kitties off, it sure could inflict some damage in an encounter. However, poor birdies...there's not much she and I can do about them.

This was a wonderful experience...well except for the lunch thingy...because I love all things nature and I'd never had the pleasure of seeing a hawk so 'up close and personal',  I'm thankful for the honor and privilege.  I can't help but wonder if the hawk will return, on one hand I would love that...on the other...poor birdie.