As I was driving near my house this morning, I spotted a large bird flying toward my vehicle.  It flew right in front of me as I stopped at a stop sign, and then landed in a tree.  It was a hawk – probably a red-shouldered hawk - and it was magnificent! 

[Of course, I can never see any hawk or other raptor without remembering a “Far Side” cartoon which showed several raptors sitting in a tree, wearing sun glasses, with the caption: “Birds of prey know they’re cool.”  It’s true, isn’t it?]    

The neighborhood where I live is designated as a “wildlife preserve”.  Mainly, I think that means that the humans who live here are supposed to not bother the squirrels and ducks and geese and other wild creatures that also live here.  That certainly includes hawks, and the owls that hoot at night in my back yard.  But, I don’t think that the animals themselves are constrained by or are subject to any of our neighborhood covenants.  And so, I wondered what it might look like to observe this hawk hunting in my neighborhood.  The Lord designed hawks and other raptors to use their extraordinary eyesight to spot their prey from long distances.  And He designed them to have amazing speed and agility in flight to capture their meals.  

I thought it would be awesome to watch this hawk swoop down at lightning speed and snatch a mouse or a squirrel right off the ground.  I even hoped that this hawk would take up residence in one of my trees where he might be able to do something about the moles which are tearing my yard to shreds.  That is something I would love to see! 

Moles might technically be protected from human attack in the wildlife preserve that is my neighborhood.  But, since a hawk attack would just be “The Law of The Jungle” in action, the natural drama of predator vs. prey, it would not technically be a violation of my neighborhood wildlife preserve regulations.  [Lawyers love loopholes and technicalities!]  Unfortunately, I don’t know how to send this hawk an invitation to move in.  And, since moles live and work underground, they are probably not a major part of a hawk’s diet anyway, so there goes my hope for a “natural solution” to my mole problem.       

But, further investigation made me realize that animals that live near human civilization have had to adapt and make changes in order to survive in areas that have now been invaded by humans.   According to the Audubon Field Guide, in addition to the expected diet of mice and frogs and other small rodents, red-shouldered hawks have been known to “eat many crayfish [and yes, that is how they spelled it - sigh] in some areas”.  Clearly, the hawk I saw is living in the right area for that delicacy to be on the menu.  He is going to fit right in with his human neighbors!  In fact, maybe I’d better warn the folks who live across the street from me who love to have crawfish boils in their yard in the Spring that they better be on the lookout for an uninvited guest this year.

I know it doesn’t always happen, and I know that Man has a great responsibility [which we have often failed to acknowledge or assume] to steward all of the animal life on this planet.  But isn’t it amazing that animals can, at least at times, adapt and find ways to survive, and even thrive, in areas which have been “claimed” and colonized and “civilized” by humans?  And no, I do not think this is in any way evidence for the Theory of Evolution.  These animals are not “evolving” into something different.  They are not slowly changing into some kind of new species.  They are still the same creatures; but they have simply learned new ways of surviving.

I overheard some people at church talking about the lizards that are in their yards and around their houses, and I was reminded that a smart man once had this to say about these creatures: “There are four things that are small but unusually wise: …The lizards – they are easy to catch and kill, yet are found even in king’s palaces!” – Proverbs 30:24;28.  Even thousands of years ago, lizards were doing what they are still doing today – adapting and living successfully with people. 

Animals - adapting, changing their patterns of living, finding ways to get along with their neighbors.  Maybe we could learn some lessons from them.  If animals can learn, can adapt, can change, can co-exist with their neighbors, don’t you think we can too?  Maybe if we can, humans will someday be added to the short list of things that are “unusually wise”.

~Shepherd Ambrose Ramsey