the Walnut Diary

Tony and I were standing in the yard today looking down over the field where Bill Barrett was raking hay.  Hovering high above the tractor and poised to strike was a large, brown hawk.  The only bird I know that can hover like that is Zeke, the red-tailed hawk who grew up in the woodlot.  For some reason Zeke’s favourite method of hunting involves following a vehicle moving around a field.

Zeke’s back for his third haying season and he seems less bothered by blackbirds than before.  Today he pretty much ignored the redwing which was swooping around him.  I guess he had mice on his mind.

Later in the day I spoke to Bill’s wife, Lynn, and she mentioned that Bill had reported at lunch that he “had help in the field today”:  Zeke was keeping a close eye on things.