My Adventures with a Yearling Red-Tailed Hawk

I had the pleasure of seeing two of my oldest and dearest friends, last week. We grew up together in Pelham, MA, and went to an elementary school together so small that its' highest population while I attended was 113 students.

They've both moved far away; one to Texas, while the other is living in Seattle. Visits like these are few and far between, and always a cause for celebration.

We ended up at a park behind the town library, where we discovered a young Red-Tailed Hawk feeding on a squirrel, in a small clearing. As my friends sat down, I grabbed my camera and crept more closely to her. She was entirely unfazed by my presence, and to my astonishment, I ended up within three feet of her, sitting on the ground, taking picture after picture of her. Every now and then, I forced myself to put my camera down, in order to fully take in the wonder of what I was being treated to.

Once I felt like I wouldn't get any more shots that I hadn't already taken, I slowly backed away, stood up, and rejoined my friends, and the Hawk kept eating.