Nature’s gifted performers

There’s a narrow trench running along the side of the road where I live on the East Coast, and it’s often fascinating to watch a chicken hawk diving down from the overhead utility wires to snatch an unsuspecting Kreketeh from the edge of the trench.  I’ve seen this operation many times and, believe me, the bird rarely misses.

Coming from a height of some 60 feet, the hawk comes in at high speed in a swooping arc, snatches the snail, and is soon back up on the wire priming for another attack.  The hawk’s body control and eyesight must be remarkable to execute precision hunting like that; it’s an example of the gifts that these creatures of nature come equipped with, sometimes exhibiting their skills far from the forest or the jungle, with such efficiency; we often overlook the talents of these gifted performers that abound in nature.