From Winter to Summer

Funny thing about the U.P. We didn't have any snow in March or April . . . spring came early and then came May. Snow flurries a couple days . . . cool days, hard frosts at night . . . and along came this last week. PERFECT!! 70's . . . very slight breeze from the south . . . sun all week with beautiful blue skies. I was standing in a lake with my chest waders on, listening to the unbelievable quiet of the earth when along came the biggest hawk I've ever seen, swooping along the shoreline trying to lose the harassing small birds which were dodging in and around this massive bird of prey. The hawk landed in a tree along the shore and the forest erupted with the calls of all the birds warning of this dangerous visitor. The hawk flew around from tree to tree around this little bay I was fishing in all the time being harassed by little birds when it tried to fly around. This hawk finally had enough and took off across the lake and made an effort to grab one of the smaller, harassing birds (around the size of a robin) and was almost successful in grabbing the bird during flight. A few of the real small birds, which are very quick and very agile, darted in-between the hawk and the robin and saved the birds life. As I stood there and watched all of this unfold right in front of me, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the hawk . . . why? A fellow fisherman wanting some breakfast? . . . but not in the backyard of the smaller birds that don't like him. Was it my extreme dislike of bullying? Was this massive bird of prey being bullied? I suppose if I was a smaller bird, I wouldn't want him fishing in my back yard either. But still, why feel sorry for a hawk being picked on by a bunch of small birds? I suppose us fisherman have to stick together . . . but when the hawk turns to eating its own . . . then go get 'em little wren . . .