Camouflage...

I tried this week to get a decent picture of the mother hawk who is sitting on her nest close by our bridge. One can certainly see the nest in the photo, but I would have to point out that the bird appears as a furry knob to the left of the center of that bundle of twigs. We assume that it is the same mother as last year - that she has come back home. I guess she forgot how she actually ended up moving her babies after they hatched last year. The bridge can be a busy place in the spring.

In order to get a properly dramatic shot, I would need a telephoto lens - the nest is just far away enough to need that extra oomph for a close up. At least this way, she can still be somewhat camouflaged by the nest and the twigs, and soon the quickly growing leaves. Right now, there are still some good vantage points if you know where to look, but nature does a perpetually fine job of protecting its creatures from the menaces of the world.

I do find myself wishing for that sort of a hiding place sometimes. Part of the problem is that I have not taken a vacation in a while. There are all sorts of reasons for that - primarily the ones that say, "You can't afford to right now," which is true, but part of it also stems from the way my job is stuctured such that it's tricky to get away. There's no one elso to fill in for me. That's troublesome.

So...I wish I had a cozy nest somewhere off the beaten path, and a cloak of camouflage to pull on so that all I really had to worry about was sitting and being watchful for a while. And the world could just flow right on by like the bayou running high, carrying all of the flotsam and jetsam away.

Our answer to the Decorah eagles...

This week someone on the staff discovered that we have a hawk sitting on a nest close by one of our signature sights. We have always known that we had a pair of hawks who frequented the grounds. In fact, they had been known to "follow" certain people who, perhaps, appeared threatening. I don't know how any of those people could look threatening to a bird of prey used to riding the wind currents and swooping and sailing all over the gardens, hunting and diving for goodies in the back woods. In any case, several of us were very excited, and have been keeping a watchful eye on their home tucked away in an appropriately camouflaged spot.

Now, earlier this week, I really wanted to be able to get a picture of this wondrous event. I mean, after all, one can venture onto YouTube and follow the Decorah eagles' webcam, waiting for each instinctual movement of these enormous, but gentle giants. The truth is though that I am not equipped with the right camera/lenses/etc. to get the job done with the hawks. So, though Iwas initially disappointed, I decided that perhaps it was just as well. It's their home and family, after all. And we already know how I feel about privacy, right? I can be content with a daily pilgrimage to see what can be seen. Today, one was calmly sitting on the nest, no doubt happy that the air boats that only occasionally pass, as they did yesterday, are not around today, and will leave them at peace with the breeze, and the shivering sycamore leaves, and the sandbars and muddy banks.

What a beautiful Easter gift, these creatures waiting patiently for new life to come into the world!