This week has started with a hawk heart attack.
Barely awake, and with freshly brewed and highly anticipated coffee in hand, I chanced to look out of our back window to the Hydro pole where Marvin, Mavis and Lucky usually perch.
A bird landed on that pole. “Not a crow,” my sluggish brain remarked as I grabbed the ever-handy camera.
A hawk — the first I’ve seen around here all summer.
I looked at the hawk. The hawk looked at me.
Then he or she bent over to preen their feathers …
At that moment another bird landed on the other end of the pole’s cross beam. A crow — Marvin or Mavis!!
My heart stood still. You can see the hawk, still bent over at the bottom left of the the next photo.
Time stood still.
It seemed as if neither saw the other for a micro-second … and then they did!
The hawk dove at the crow and both tumbled off in a flurry of feathers and claws — stage right and out of view behind the shed roof.
Coffee forgotten, I raced outside, very much expecting to find a scene of carnage in the alley.
Instead I found Marvin and Mavis on the next Hydro pole down doing some stress preening and stamping around.
No sign of the hawk.
Marvin quickly returned to the original pole as if to reclaim it, fluffy moulting feathers and all.
Mavis moved to our roof to continue preening …
… and also keep an eye on the sky …
My coffee was a bit cold after all this, but I hardly needed it — heart thumping as if I’d just downed an entire carafe of espresso.
Phew, crazy crows!!
PS In case your mind, as mine did, immediately went to Lucky’s whereabouts, I have seen him, safe and sound, since this incident.
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A hawk landed in my garden early spring – I didnt realize they ate birds and I had alot of these at the feeder. But he didnt get a snack that day.
I just ate a hand full of my JJ Coffee beans June!!!
That reminds me of when I was young and a student and used to eat handfuls of chocolate covered coffee beans to stay up late and finish a paper. If I tried that now I’d be in cardiac arrest AND wide awake for a month. Lol.
Thank goodness your crow family is safe!
I saw my first hawk in the garden this spring. I looked at him and in a scolding tone said, “you can have all the mice you want but stay away from my birds!“
Not 10 seconds later he tracked a Siskin leaving a feeder and… lunch.
Circle of life. 😢
Argh. The circle of life can be very tough to witness.
I’m glad you let us know about Lucky! I would have worried. All this year’s fledglings have disappeared from my neighbourhood in South Granville.
It’s possible some of them just got independent earlier and are off making lives for themselves in another part of town. Fingers crossed. Though the fledgling weeks are SO disaster prone. 😱
Phew!! So glad that it turned out okay!!
Thats a exciting story ,I am happy it ended well. Take care
Just want you to know I have your book, and do enjoy your photos and stories 🙏👍🥰
Thanks so much Claudia. 🙂
Whew is right! It looks like a Peregrine Falcon or maybe a large female Kestrel. Your a very good writer by the way. I love this space.
Thanks so much Gale. I don’t really know my raptors, so wasn’t sure what it was — only that it had very big talons!!
Thank God, lucky is fine, i had the same thought .