Our Fascinating Bird Of Prey

For the past three weeks there has been a red-tailed hawk that has been sitting down by the horse pen. The first time I saw him, I was doing my chores. It did not seem unusual, until he came back the next day, and the next day and the next.

We have seen lots of hawks fly or land around, but this hawk has been acting very strangely. He flies down before noon every day and lands on the t-post. Every time I try to take a picture, he flies away.

The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey known as a raptor. They have two long wings and a short wide tail. They are a reddish brownish color. There are more than 250 species of hawks. All hawks use their feet to catch and grip their prey. This also allows them to capture and carry their meals while they are flying.

We all thought that he might be down there to try to catch the new chicks that we recently bought. So, we wanted to scare him away. We would chase him away, and the next thing you know he would be back again. He never seemed interested in the chicks, so, we left him alone.

Samuel saw the hawk fly down to the ground and catch something, but he did not know what it might have been. Then the next day, we saw him fly to the ground and grab something, and then he flew away. It looked like a mouse. The hawk is being helpful by decreasing the rodent population in our barnyard.

It is always cool to look down and see the hawk sitting there on the t-post. He is probably thinking of what he is going to eat for dinner. It is amazing how God designed this fascinating bird of prey.

~Isaac