“If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature’s way.” Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics
Posted on November 14, 2007 - Filed Under Outdoors, I AM an animal!!!
Recent times have witnessed a great number of changes in the way we live and think. There are things we do today which were unthinkable even a generation or two ago; conversely, there are many things we go without now which our forerunners thought of as necessities. Among the latter, sadly, is our relationship with nature. Some may say it is the price we pay for having our iPhones, computers, cars, etc., etc. I, for one, have been thinking for some time that the price on the sticker is not worth paying.
I happened to be outside today when I looked and saw a huge bird standing in the grassy area behind my workplace. It was only about 15 yards away, so I was quickly able to see that it was, in fact, a hawk. Looking closer, I also ascertained it had secured for itself lunch in the form of a small rabbit. The hawk appeared to be waiting for a safe time to dig into its prey. I felt so amazingly lucky to be standing there, in that spot, at that moment. It is not often, because of our divorce proceedings with nature, that we are able to directly observe the cycle of life, the beauty of birth, life, and death. In fact, I think I can say confidently that I have never observed a predator, in its natural environment, actually preying. I don’t say this in any kind of macabre way; as with most things we humans interfere with, death is not the emotionally charged thing we make it out to be. What it does mean is that one life must end so that another may persist. It’s a bottom line kind of thing; it just is.
The bird was probably down from The Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. I wish I could say exactly what species it was but in the end, that matters little. The wonder of the experience is what counts. I’ve included one of the pictures I was lucky enough to capture. If you look closely, you can see a bit of white at the bird’s feet–that’s the rabbit. Just to give you a bit of perspective, standing as it is here in this picture, from the ground to the top of its head it probably measured 14 inches tall.
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wow that is a big bird i feel bad for the little rabbit but i know the bird had to eat to