Tag: Hawk

Glaxus the Hawk

One day we were blessed with a small hawk in our yard.

Hawks visit us often as we have many bird feeders, many bird feeders bring many birds and other seed eaters (chipmunk, squirrel, the occasional neighbor, …), and much prey brings predators, hence hawks (among others)

I did not know this hawk’s name when I took the video and have since learned he is Glaxus.

Proud name for a hawk, don’t you think, Glaxus?

A name of power, a name of honor, a name of command.

Names are a fascinating study, especially to authors who must forever come up with names for characters.

And if you’re based in one culture and writing about someone from another culture, do you give the alien individual a name with meaning in your culture or one with meaning in the other’s culture?

And if you do the latter, you’ll need to explain the significance of the name in it’s original cultural setting.

Example: Ng Bao, literally “Seven Bread.” Who names their son (it’s a male name) “Seven Bread”?

In it’s original cultural setting, it denotes someone who’ll bring good luck and great favor onto the family.

Glaxus, the aforenamed hawk, will bring worlds to his fledglings.

Glorious children, they.

Enjoy.

 

Asis on the Hunt

The head of our driveway is ringed by a stone wall crowned with shrubbery.

From a distance it can be mistaken for a sleeping stone giant with a green crewcut.

If it is a sleeping stone giant with a crewcut, Asis does it a favor now and then by grooming it.

The giant’s hair is a haven for chipmunks, mice, voles, all sorts of little fur bellies.

The giant doesn’t seem to mind.

I mean, I’ve never seen it scratch it’s head.

Must be because Asis keeps a steady watch.

Moving quickly, silently, from follicle to follicle, from dandrite to dandrite, hunting hunting hunting.

The Wild takes care of its own.

Two-Legs just need eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to understand.

Magic is all around, waiting, patient.

And if our kind pass?

The magic will be there for others more willing to see, to listen, to understand.

I’ve heard people crying out, “Save the Earth!” and some such.

Save the Earth from what?

The Earth was here some five billion-plus years before we showed up. It’ll be here some five billion-plus years after we’re gone.

Don’t bother to save the Earth. It doesn’t need us to do that.

Time is better spent saving ourselves.

 

But what’s the fun in that?

 

Asis Likes Opera (and he owns the yard)

It’s wonderful when you share joys with your neighbors.

One of my joys is music. Can’t get enough and there’s not much I don’t like. Or at least recognize cultural value in.

I noticed Asis the Hawk a’bobbin and a’weavin’ to some classic tunes.

Opera.

I enjoy a good opera. A good Gilbert and Sullivan.

Evidently Asis does, too.

Enjoy.

 

Discussions with Asis the Hawk

Picking up from last week’s Abis the Hawk, we continue our daily hawking.

This time with a male, Asis.

Asis spends much time in our trees, observing.

I wonder if he remembers being a tyrannosaur? Of feeling the blood to lesser behemoths flow down his sides, of hearing their death cries as his mighty raptorous teeth ripped from them hunks of flesh the size of buffalo.

You’ll note that Asis is not camera shy.

Even preens.

Says, “Go ahead, take your shot. I’ll put on a show for you.”

What a glorious lad.

 

Abis the Hawk

We are seeing more hawks this season than usual.

Meaning, we are aware of more hawks. It could be the same number as always, we’re simply recognizing them.

Doubtful, that.

If we’re blithely ignorant, other Old Ones are not. Most birds and small mammals scatter, hide. Except for turkeys who won’t scatter, instead cloistering to protect their young.

Abis is new to us. I didn’t know her name at first. Took a few encounters before she’d share.

Hawks tend to be guarded creatures. Not wary so much as watchful, waiting, wanting to make sure things are safe. For them.

Most predators are that way, wanting to make sure things are safe for them before they act.

I can’t imagine it’s a happy existence, being a predator. The Laws of Equilibrium dictate that if you are a predator then you must be something else’s prey. Even apex predators are prey, although their nemeses are often the tiniest of things (think HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds), those and old age, death, who comes to us all at some point in time.

But then, as Borges said, “To be immortal is commonplace; except for man, all creatures are immortal, for they are ignorant of death.”