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08-05-02, 08:36 AM
Sunday, (8/4/01)I had an incredible experience while on my morning bike ride.
I’m coming down a long incline, going 20 – 25 mph. On my left is a field of soybeans with a flock of small sparrow-like birds in it. On the right side of the road is a corn field. As I come up on the birds they startle and fly across the road, at an angle moving more or less with me. Suddenly a large Hawk swoops down and is right behind one of the little sparrows. The two of them are about 30 feet from me, going across the road, but at an angle that keeps them ahead of me.
The sparrow is squeaking and flapping like crazy to get away. The hawk has opened his wings, going from a dive to a fast glide. I can see his talons stretched out, reaching for the sparrow who is now only inches from his grasp.. They’re half way across the road, right in front of me. I see the hawk’s wings dip slightly as he makes a slight correction for the cross winds. That gives the sparrow a few more inches of life between him and the large talons, desperately outstretched behind him. The hawk makes a little dip in his flight path to gain speed and is almost touching the sparrows tail feathers. They’re now only 4 feet of the ground as the sparrow flys right between the cornstalks. The hawk looks up to see the corn rushing at him and his 3 foot wingspan and his objective suddenly changes. At the last minute he drastically pulls up, and his wings just clear the tops of the corn stalks as I wiz past him and the whole scene is behind me.
WOW what a 4 second rush!
I’m coming down a long incline, going 20 – 25 mph. On my left is a field of soybeans with a flock of small sparrow-like birds in it. On the right side of the road is a corn field. As I come up on the birds they startle and fly across the road, at an angle moving more or less with me. Suddenly a large Hawk swoops down and is right behind one of the little sparrows. The two of them are about 30 feet from me, going across the road, but at an angle that keeps them ahead of me.
The sparrow is squeaking and flapping like crazy to get away. The hawk has opened his wings, going from a dive to a fast glide. I can see his talons stretched out, reaching for the sparrow who is now only inches from his grasp.. They’re half way across the road, right in front of me. I see the hawk’s wings dip slightly as he makes a slight correction for the cross winds. That gives the sparrow a few more inches of life between him and the large talons, desperately outstretched behind him. The hawk makes a little dip in his flight path to gain speed and is almost touching the sparrows tail feathers. They’re now only 4 feet of the ground as the sparrow flys right between the cornstalks. The hawk looks up to see the corn rushing at him and his 3 foot wingspan and his objective suddenly changes. At the last minute he drastically pulls up, and his wings just clear the tops of the corn stalks as I wiz past him and the whole scene is behind me.
WOW what a 4 second rush!