PBW: A Beautiful Sight

This is not the time of year when snow melts, when birds emerge and the air grows warmer, ever so slightly, but not yet oppressively hot. The storms we've had are only the beginning, and it will be some time before the sights in today's Photo Blog Wednesday become permanent. Still, the last vestiges of melted snow remind me of Spring, of a time when I can once more visit the beaches I love, and wander the wilderness away from the harsh eyes of society. It is a magic time, and perhaps my favorite time of year.

Our home is currently a popular place for birds to visit on their journey South. As I left for work this morning, and little birds pecked at the seeds my mom left scattered on the sidewalk, I had no idea what I would soon see. A fluttering in the bushes nearby indicated something decidedly larger. Was it one of the neighborhood cats, the strays who prowl our yard? As it flew up and landed on the hood of my car, my next thought was pigeon. It was a little larger than a pigeon though, brown with black spots, and a tiny hooked beak. As it flapped its mighty wings and soared off my car and up into the taller trees in the nearby woods, I turned to the house in disbelief, mouth agape. My mom opened the kitchen window and answered my unspoken inquiry: “Yes, that was a hawk.” If only I had a fast camera, or my camera was on, or I had it on me at the time. Oh well. At least I still have my melting snow.