Eye on the Fly: A Hawk, a Lizard, and a Driveway Drama

There was an exciting moment in front of my home yesterday. I witnessed and a life and death event. No, I didn’t call 911. I didn’t try to save the victim. I stayed on the sidelines. Here’s how it went down. Circling around my home perhaps two hundred meters above the ground was a red tailed hawk. Now, I have good eyesight, 20/20, my eyesight does not come close to that of a red tailed hawk. I image if the red tailed hawk circling above my home went to the optometrist for an annual eye exam, the hawk would start with the bottom line. Well, the sharp eyed hawk suddenly goes into a dive that would make an Olympic diver envious. The hawk had perfect form. All Olympic judges would give the hawk 10’s. The hawk’s speed increased as it headed straight for my driveway. I glanced at my driveway and spotted the victim, a large lizard. The hawk extended a talon and boom, grabbed the unsuspecting lizard and headed off to a large oak tree on the other side of the street. Brunch I thought. The lizard made the hawk’s morning. The hawk put a big damper on the lizard’s plans. The message for me? Enjoy the moment.