Memoirs of a Hawk

Twice a year, every year, the hawks move back to their home at The University of Texas at Tyler, close to the trees over by Ornelas Hall. They build their nests high up in the trees and they can become quite testy when there are students getting a little too close for comfort to their nests. These are not the memoirs of a "victim" of a hawk attack or of your lake dwelling duck, but rather the memoirs of a hawk.

I see the two legged ones putting up their signs from under my green, leafy perch. I watch them “accidentally” leave their trash and leftovers on the tables by the Harvey Deck for nature’s burglars in the night to come and clean up after them. I guess it works out; the raccoons need to eat too, but the trashcans are mere ten feet away. Exercise on either parties’ sides is not an absolutely terrible idea. I do enjoy my flights over to the lovely Herrington Patriot Center. This is the life I want for my eggs when they hatch and become little baby hawks. I want them to be active and healthy, just like the students I get to watch over on a daily basis.

My husband and me in our nest <3

Sometimes I nestle outside the University Center, or the UC for short. It’s warm there and it smells like delicious food, and I can identify it. I believe it is Subway that I can smell. That and The Met. I think ChickFilA for a hawk is a little bit taboo for me to take part in. However, I know the humans love it, and I can respect that. I don’t think they could handle some of our traditional Hawk cuisine either! (Oh goodness, my husband is laughing at me. I don’t think they offer a Culinary major, dear) I watch the humans feed ducks their food and it fills me with hope.

If the humans can interact so easily with our cousin ducks, our neighbor squirrels, and vagabond raccoons, surely they can welcome us too! Our children are still very young. I think I will send my husband out to go try and make friends with them when he goes shopping for food. These eggs won’t hatch themselves! (: We’re first time parents, and he has been very protective and loving towards these eggs. I hope our neighbors understand when he says now’s not a good time for visits. Sometimes I get so tired sitting on the nest! Who knew sitting on a nest and just generating heat could be so tiring...? I’m so excited to be a mommy!

#selfiesaturday #nofilter

There must be a misunderstanding somewhere in all of this. The humans get really close to our nest and take pictures. It makes me very nervous and my husband knows this is really bad for our eggs, so he swoops down and starts attacking their heads to keep them away. What if one climbed up our tree and took one of our babies as a pet? We see little funny looking wolves walking around on brightly colored leashes all the time. What if they tried to do such a thing to our baby? He’s just trying to be a good dad and protect us. I see them put signs. I wish I knew what they said… I hear the humans whisper things about “hawk attacks” as if we attack out of the blue for no reason.

He's so fluffy, I'm gonna die!!

When a “hawk attacks”, it is because you are too close to its nest and you are threatening their babies. If anyone’s seen an angry mom, you know that’s not something you want to do! Angry mom is just one letter away from angry mob!