HAWK HARMONY

My son Alex and I were enjoying a beautiful sunny day on our back deck, when I looked up in the sky and saw several hawks gliding above.

“Aren't they beautiful?” I said as I pointed to them swooping and turning in the breeze. “They look like Cooper Hawks.”

Alex looked up squinting. “There sure are a lot of them this year.”

I thought about that for a moment and realized he was right. “I wonder why?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. Then pointed to our bird feeders. “Setting up a self serve buffet for them might have something to do with it.”

I could hear a Cooper Hawk calling out. “Do you hear that?” I got up from my chair to go to the edge of our porch trying to find him in our trees. “Do you see him?” I asked.

Alex looked up. “Why do you assume it's a he?”

“Because it's mating season and it's the male who usually calls out.” I had my hand up to my forehead trying to block the glare.

“How do you know these things?” I could hear the surprise in his voice.

I looked over at him. “What can I say?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I like nature.” I looked over at the two mourning doves waddling around under our feeders. I waved my arms around. “SHOO!” I cried. “Get out of here! You don't want to be a hawk's lunch!” The two doves flew away, the flapping of their wings sounding like tiny squeaky toys. I went and sat back in my chair. “Whew, that was close.”

Alex looked over at me. “You know the hawks need to eat too.”

“I know.” I sighed. “I just don't want to watch it happen.” I rested my head on the back of my chair. “Remember last year when I went out to fill the feeders and there was a pile of mourning dove feathers on the ground?” I shuttered. “You know they mate for life and his poor spouse spent the rest of her summer sadly wandering around alone.” I sighed again.

Alex shook his head. “Once again, how do you know the hawk got the male and not the female.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I just assumed.”

We sat quietly, watching the birds at the feeders when Alex looked over at me again. “Have you noticed there aren't many squirrels around lately?”

I scanned our woods. “You know you're right.” I began looking around some more. “Come to think of it, I haven't seen any rabbits either.” I got up and went down the deck steps to check around the perimeter of the house.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.

“Looking for chipmunk burrows.” I looked in all their usual spots. “There's no fresh holes!” I cried. I looked at Alex as he leaned on the railing watching me. “No rabbits, no squirrels, and now no chipmunks!” I looked up at the hawks swirling overhead. “DAMN YOU COOPER HAWKS!”

Alex started to laugh. “Ten minutes ago you were saying how beautiful they were!”

“Ten minutes ago I hadn't noticed they were eating all my other little friends!” I came back up on the deck and sat down. “This stinks.”

“Don't worry. Once the hawks clear out the neighborhood they'll move on.” Alex patted me on the shoulder. “Then maybe your chipmunk friends will come back.”

“Maybe they're not getting eaten!” I looked hopefully at Alex. “Maybe they're just hiding and waiting for the hawks to move on.”

Alex got up to go inside but first stopped to kiss me on the top of the head. “You're right. That's how nature works.”

Once Alex had gone in I looked around the woods again hoping I'd see my chipmunks. I sighed when I didn't see any, and looked up once again at the swirling hawks. “Sometimes I hate nature.” I whispered.