Hawk's Lunch

In photography the wonderful concept of 'capturing the moment' makes a world of difference in the final result of the finished photo. Today I found myself in a situation where I was shooting pictures of a hawk at lunchtime, not my lunch but the hawk's. The concept of life and death up and down the food chain doesn't bother me at this point in my life. I have always logically understood the stratagem behind the hunt, but there is the other side of the equation, the fuzzy side of seeing a carnivore eating it's prey.

As the process of life play out in front of me I immediately thought of capturing some pictures of the hawk. Seeing one for me is rather rare these days, which enticed my excitement for seeing such a creature. In the taking of photos using the fancy 'point and click' camera from behind a window pane, I was just so focused upon the hawk that I completely lost track of the reality of the situation. Both sustenance and loss was right in front of me at the same time.

When viewed from behind the lenses of the camera, or of our personal lenses, the details of the object are enthralling. Yet, the view when I simply looked through my own eyes created so much more than just the objects of interest. I saw the intensity of the situation. The power and ownership of the hawks position over it's prey, and the fleeting of the moment. Our hawk was aware of so many noises and movements that the distractions became part of the dining process. A second or two of time to work on lunch along with three or four seconds to survey the potential for other issues in the area.

Questions poured over my mind. What would be noticed when the lunch didn't show up back at the nest. Do birds hold on to changes in their social/ family structures, or feel the difference? Was the hawk eating for itself only or was this hard earned meal going to be part of feeding for other birds waiting to share in the spoils? Did the cat on the inside want to go out to deal with the bird of prey, or was it even safe for the cat to be in the area? I thought of how interconnected all this activity is to the intricate web of life.

When that same issue of interconnectedness rests upon my mind. often I think of the complexity of life, and the lack of it, which is in a constant state of adaptation. The impact of our personal and individual actions upon this tapestry of life can only be guessed upon. In the writing of this post is the world changed in any way? The answer of course is  yes. If for no other reason than that you are spending some of your time in it's reading. Hopefully for me it has a greater impact upon your approach to some future action/s. Are you making your world a different place by your actions? Or perhaps helping to sustain the flow of lives around you?

The photos turned out just fine. The hawk was beautiful and the prey was unrecognizable. I am ready to move on to the next thing in my life; maybe a little more aware of what impact my actions may have upon my environment and the people in it.