I live in a suburb of a pretty large metropolitan area. I will say that my neighborhood is park-like and right on the river. We have all manner of animals sharing the habitat with us. Deer by the dozens, groundhogs, chipmunks, squirrels, birds of many varieties, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, moles, field mice, bats, and many others.
In the spring and fall, a large red tailed hawk roosts in the pine trees by our driveway. I have pictures on facebook, she is majestic. There are herons and cranes along the river, as well as geese and ducks.
Along the drive to E's school, is a house on a number of acres and we see deer all the time. It is a beautiful site in the winter, the deer feeding as the sun just peeks over the horizon.
Tonight as I waited at the light, to turn onto the bridge that takes us over the river and towards home, I saw a red tailed hawk, swoop and I mean swoop at full speed, across the intersetion, into the flower bed and nearly I thought into the rock walk, only to return to the air, with I think a rabbit in its talons. Across the intersection, prey dangling, returning to the larger clearing, behind another rock wall, to nosh.
It happened so fast, executed with razor sharp precision. I wished I had been quick enough to snap some pictures. It was amazing. I have never seen this up close, I was the second in line to turn and I had a bird's eye view of the flowerbed.
I was struck by how cleanly the hawk, plucked the little animal up. No malice, just a clean kill. Saw prey, grabbed prey, ate prey.
I suspect there is some reason, the Universe put this in front of me, while I sat at the traffic light. I just don't know what that reason is in the moment.
