A sudden shower had come and gone,
cooling the heat of the afternoon, when I stopped at the lake to view the sky.
To my delight, a red-tailed hawk soared in and landed on a nearby telephone pole.
As I watched, it became apparent that not everyone was as pleased to see it as I was.
Out of nowhere,
a mockingbird swooped down at the hawk and passed within inches with claws extended.
It rested on the telephone wire for a moment before renewing its attack.
The hawk preened itself, studiously ignoring the little dive bomber...
...but the harassment continued.
Just when it seemed the mockingbird would surely tire of its mission,
a light seemed to dawn in the hawk's brain.
"I could leave!"
And so it did. The mockingbird was hot on its tail when it disappeared from sight.
Soon, the fearless mockingbird could return to claim the top of the pole as its very own.
Soon, the fearless mockingbird could return to claim the top of the pole as its very own.
Oops!
Nature abhors a vacuum.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
