I was pedaling along a bike trail, thinking of the shorebirds I had seen, yesterday. I really wasn't paying attention to all the wonderful life around me. Guess that's why the Cooper's Hawk decided to land on a low branch over the trail, not 10 yards in front of me. Hawks have always been my personal
spirit guides in my belief system, so I guess it was my
hawk spirit's way of reminding me to open my eyes and concentrate on the gifts of the moment. The Cooper's did not move, even as I raised my
binocular. Through the
Swarovski compact, every detail of the plumage and face was visible. The bird turned and looked at me and still did not fly. I was instantly hypnotized. Don't think I was even breathing. Finally, the hawk looked away, dove from the limb and flew on through the forest. I forgot all about the shorebirds.