Tag: hawk

Posted in flash fiction

Snakes?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Wait a minute. That’s not a shadow. It’s moving on it’s own. That’s a slither. It’s a snake. A black snake silently glided through the garden mulch into the woods next door.

“Hey, if you’re here to eat mice or rats, come back any time.”

Yeah, I talk to animals sometimes. I whistle at the birds. My dog patiently listens to my random thoughts as we walk. Why not talk to the snake? My neighbor caught a bunch of mice in his attic. Rats have gnawed at spots on my wooden fence. Maybe he can help me out.

A few days later, he was back. Wait a minute. Do two of them? Two three-foot black snakes. I guess he thought it was OK to bring a friend.

Within a week, the news spread. I counted five of them. They didn’t even crawl away when I opened the garage door. “Hey, I didn’t say you could bring all your family and friends. Get out of here! My wife is going to freak out.”

This is creepy. Ok, so there aren’t any mice in the area. But my yard is not a snake sanctuary. They have to go.

Is that a hawk perched in the pine tree. I chuckled, “Hey, can I interest you in some snakes?”

Posted in wildlife

I’m watching them, and they’re watching me

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Two hawks were screeching in the tree right above our back patio. One flew off while one remained on a branch about twenty feet up. On any given day I’ll see them circling in the sky, riding the updrafts. Some days they may be sitting right on a fence post, just a few feet from the back door.

They’re watching. Watching the grass for snakes. I’ve seen them swoop in and grab an unsuspecting snake. Never saw him or her coming. Still wriggling in the talons as the hawk flies away.

Watching for bunnies. Plenty of those around. The bunnies who sit out front and think that if they are still enough, I won’t notice them. Right after I notice more bunnies than usual out in the yard, usually munching on garden plants, they disappear. Pretty easy targets for the hawk dropping in from the sky.

Watching out for other birds. The crows will sometimes gang up on them and loudly chase them away. I guess it’s not worth the fight when there are plenty of other trees around.

Watching me. I’m not a threat, but if I take a step too close, the hawk flies off. If I stand and watch too long, they leave. I’m not really a threat, but they aren’t taking any chances.

I love catching sight of the wildlife in our neighborhood. Sadly, more houses means fewer wooded lots. I think most of the deer have left. My neighbors in the sky are still around though.