Swainson's Hawk

This morning as I opened up the front door to head out for my walk, I felt the coolness of the morning air.  It was so refreshing.  One of the things that I enjoy about living north of Denver near the foothills is the variety of birds that I encounter during the year.

I had only gone a few steps when I heard the screeching sound of a bird.  Not just any bird, but it was the Swainson's Hawk.  This hawk is about 19 to 22 inches in body length with a wingspan of 4 to 4.5 feet. There are currently about 800,000 of these hawks.  They are migrating through as they head to Argentina.  Traveling about 6,000 miles each way.  They undertake one of the longest migrations of any North American bird.

The Swainson's Hawk is a friend to farmers.  These birds of prey enjoy being in a freshly mowed field, feasting on grasshoppers and other insects that destroy the crops.

This one hawk has a nest in a large cottonwood tree near my home.  About 5 weeks ago, as I was out for my walk, the hawk was chasing birds away from it's nest and the birds swept past the back of my head and I could feel the wings of the hawk.  It was a surreal moment.

I captured a picture of the two hawks this morning and even got a video as it flew away.  There is something about experiencing nature.  God created all the different birds.  The verse that comes to mind is "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Once again, I am reminded that worrying does nothing for me, but destroy me.  Worrying can damage my health, consume my thoughts and also take away the trust that I have in God.  Today is a new day and I place my life in His hands knowing He has already taken care of all things.