Urban Hawk

February 23, 2011

Driving home from work today, I spotted a neighbor that I haven’t seen in a while. It’s hard to tell from this photo (taken with my iPhone) but this guy is quite a grand bird. He is our neighborhood red-tailed hawk, the largest specie of hawk in the state. I have often seen him swooping through the woods in the back of my house. With an average wingspan of  four to four and a half feet, he earns the title “raptor” by looking positively prehistoric. I’ve never seen him with a mate (or even a good friend), although according to Outdoor Alabama’s blog, Red-Tailed Hawks are thought to “establish permanent pair bonds”.  Hmmm… I guess that means he’s just not ready to settle down? Well, whatever his dating habits, I’m glad to see him back in the ‘hood. I’m wondering if he has had to travel farther to find food this winter, and perhaps that is why I haven’t seen him lately. Or…  it could be that I tend to hibernate my-own-self when the temps drop toward freezing. Looks like he and I both are ready for spring!

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