An odd day for hawks

This hawk flew into the the low branches of the soapberry tree on my neighbor's patio. The photo was taken with the 12x zoom through my glass sliding door, and the hawk was about 25 feet away. Why was it in this unusual place?

Maybe it was hiding out from blue jays. On my slow morning walk by the creek the blue jays and crows were in a noisy uproar. Were protective parental blue jays considering me a threat to their young-uns? Was I about to be mobbed? This is an unpleasant experience. One year jays nested near my front door. Getting into the condo was a gamut.

Suddenly a hawk flew by in the bright sunlight over the water, followed by a half dozen jays. The hawk looked like a military jet flying under the radar.

On the way into Corner Bakery my lunchmate was chatting about troop withdrawal from Iraq. Heat was rippling up from the pavement, and the noon glare was intense. Off the nearest lightpost, a hawk swooped down right over us. I could see its yellow beak and underwing markings. Was it going to carry off my friend's newly-colored hair? She talked on, oblivious, while I gaped at Hawk #2 of the day.

Now, Hawk #3 stared at me through the window. If three hawks is a sign from the Cosmos that I'm supposed to color my hair, I need clarification.

© 2010 Nancy L. Ruder