October 8, 2018
The King’s View
(Today, enjoy a view of my “farm” from the eyes of “The King” – a large, beautiful hawk who lives in a nest in one of the pine trees in a neighbor’s property.)
Soaring over his domain, The King doesn’t think to look up; nothing flies higher than he. The calls from his chicks in the nest remind him that this trip’s fare needs to be a feast. The chicks are growing larger, hungrier, and bolder. Soon his mate must shove them from the nest to go soar into their own territories, but today, he must hunt to fill their ever-growing bellies.
The sharp images below relayed by his eyes present a veritable feast of opportunity. Tree-rats, overgrown frogs, and a few fat lizards sunning on the porches and driveways below all present easily caught but less than desired prey.
A cluster of rodents catch his eye, but he knows the hexagon-shaped glimmers mean they are protected by that horrid human invention called “chicken wire.” Though he refers to it as “the shiny barrier” instead of “chicken wire.” Six rodents are stretching in the afternoon sun, nocturnal in nature; they are fat, lazy, easy treats if it weren’t for that glimmering hexagon protection.
Cackles erupt from the wooden box under some shade trees – no, those chickens aren’t easy fare anymore. They used to be. He used to be able to outsmart the checkerboard rooster despite his three-inch spurs and heavy wings – he would get the younger chickens as they wandered away from the big rooster’s protection. Now there were two long-spurred giants. The checkerboard one was always outside chasing the wanderers back into the brush or waiting for a hawk to test his power. The second was a giant red one – that one was missing a spur that had fatally wounded a previous hawk. The King is wise enough not to attempt those chickens. But he always looks. If one wandered too far away or if that effective team was ever unwary…
No, today’s fare will have to be a few tree-rats. The King settles his decision with a precision dive and catch. He swoops in with amazing speed, executes his prey mercifully, and glides high on majestic wings to drop the prize in his anxious chicks’ nest. He returns to gather another partial meal for his growing offspring.
Thanks for reading!
Type at you next time…
~Nancy Tart