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A red-tailed hawk, a bobcat and an eagle -- no, this is not the beginning of a bar joke. This past week brought all three of these wonders of nature to our rural neighborhood.
My husband and I saw the hawk in our backyard. It was on the ground along the tree line. We thought this was rather unusual for the bird to be on the ground for any length of time, but we soon realized the reason. The bird was enjoying a rather hefty meal of a rabbit.
We have seen the hawk or its relative flying over the fields near our home. It will dive toward the earth, often scooping a mouse from its once-safe hiding place in the taller grass.
As for the bobcat, a neighbor snapped a picture of the animal as it crossed the road. It was of an impressive size that gave us pause. It's the neighborly thing to do to alert each other of such sightings, especially when you have chickens and small pets in your yards and horses and cattle in your fields.
Last year while heading toward our lane, we caught a glimpse of one of these cats in a field just off the road. It was one of those moments when we looked at each other and said, "Is that what we think it is?" It was exciting and noteworthy.
The abundance of the rabbit population must be the draw for some of these friends in nature because that is how another neighbor noticed the eagle. It's hard to miss this bird as its wingspan offers a good amount of shade as it flies overhead. The eagle, too, had caught a rabbit and was enjoying a meal just off the road. The sight caused a few onlookers to stop their vehicles and observe this symbol of American pride.
Maybe the hawk, bobcat and eagle have been here all along, moving quietly and unnoticed among us. Before the COVID-19 pandemic sent us home to work and study and rest, our lives were pretty much routine. We would come and go at predictable times. Our lives were hurried with little time to sit and breathe in the world around us.
Perhaps it's because we spend more time at home that we have been privileged to notice the natural happenings around us. When before we might have driven to the movie theater, we now watch the antics at the hummingbird feeder. We reward our working hours with a tall, cold drink as we sit in the driveway and watch the constellations light the ink-black summer sky.
I realize that soon these hot, dry days will be replaced with the cool, often wet days of fall and winter. While I look forward to pumpkins, a chill in the air and sitting around a campfire, I will not rush this time of a closer look at the nature around us.
I can't help but think the hawk, bobcat and eagle are reminding us that life goes on no matter the challenges put before us. And I thank them for that.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.