February 13, 2007

Hawks

Within the last year I've had three close encounters with Hawks while I'm out running.

In May, while warming up for a race, a Hawk, coming from behind me, flew just a few feet above my head in a dive for some breakfast of mourning dove. Sent a shot of adrenaline through my veins, which is actually a good thing right before a race.

Sometime this last fall, on another sunrise run, I turned a corner, next to a hedge, I was startled by a Hawk feasting on its latest meal, another dove. The hedge had hid us from each other until I was almost on top of him. The Hawk did not fly away, he just sat their stunned, lowered his head as if to say "This is mine, get your own".

Last week I had the third and most memorable encounter, one I will never forget. I often see hawks soaring above the houses of the suburban sprawl that I use as running track. I assume they are just passing the time, or searching for prey. But this time, a Hawk gliding right next to me, in the same direction, at the level of my head, 8-10 feet away, and seemed to slow down to take a good look at me, as I looked back.

Was the hawk sizing me up, I am smaller than most humans?
Was the hawk trying to figure out why I use legs to travel, when flying is so much easier, and graceful?
Was the hawk offering salutations on this wonderful day?

Or, perhaps, the hawk is my spirit guide, trying to tell me something.

I feel lucky in my encounters with flying animals. I have a few friends in the running club up in Birmingham. There is a popular running path there along Lakeshore drive. They have installed bat houses to attract bats in that area and guess what.... they were successful. A couple of runners have been bitten by the bats while running on that trail. The big problem is that if you are bitten, you pretty much have to take the rabies vaccine. It is VERY painful, very expensive, and if you do not start it in time, or know that you were bitten, it is 100% fatal.

I have seen bats on my late evening, sunset runs. They have never bothered me. I now like to think my spirit guide is protecting me.

My harmony with the planet.

Now I just need a rhino protecting me from all the soccer moms on cell phones in bloated SUV's. Now that is a dangerous animal. The moms, not the rhino.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that the soccer mom's are checking you out just like the hawks... ;-)

Now why would you want to attract bats, huh???? Baths for bats.. ok what ever turns people's crank, right? LOL

Have a great day my friend..and keep on blogging... ;-)

XOXOXOXOXO

BBC said...

"I now like to think my spirit guide is protecting me."

You can also expect it to fail you at any time. How can you believe in a spirit guide when you don't believe in God?

pissed off patricia said...

I had a up close and personal visit from a hawk yesterday. It flew up and landed on the fence just outside my kitchen window. I looked out the window at him and he cocked his head and looked back at me. I think it was a youngster and even though there were birds at my feeder, he seemed more curious about me. When the birds at the feeder saw him they went crazy and flew in every direction. He hardly noticed them. I like to think that events such as that have more meaning than the obvious.

Pam said...

I agree with nancy. the soccer moms ARE checking you out. And they re calling the other moms on their cell phones to tell them all about it ;-).

I vote spirit guide.

I think bats eat mosquitoes and other nuisance bugs. I have no problem with them, although one woke up in a classroom I was teaching in once and started dive bombing the students. That scared the pee out of me (and them) and pretty much ended my lecture!

Blueberry said...

Last summer a hawk or hawks drove away (or killed) our backyard bird population. The birds are back now, but I'm sure the hawks (or falcons) will figure it out soon.

As for bats, here in Austin right downtown by where everybody hikes and bikes, we have the largest urban bat colony in the world: 1.5 million little bats! I don't hear about many rabies problems, fortunately. Usually unless you handle them they won't bother you.

BBC said...

Yeah, just what you need, a soccer mom. *groans*

I went through boot camp in San Diego. There were many seagulls there as we stood outside in big parade areas. There are many birds of many varieties here. Some crows come to me at times, and seem to try to communicate to me, but I never can figure out what they are saying. But a few days after they once came a good friend suddenly died.

What is amazing to me is that, with all these birds in the sky, it’s a wonder that we don’t get pooped on more.

Anonymous said...

Happy Valentine's DAY!!!

LOVE YOU!

XOXOXOXO

Undeniable Liberal said...

A Rhino......I'm still laughing.

azgoddess said...

i think it's a spirit guide...mine is an owl -- i've been sitting on my back porch and had one dive down within a foot to catch a rodent...amazing when it happens...