Honk.. honk honk honk. I like to start my day with a few low honks to wake up and wake up all my birdy neighbors. I don’t know that there will be much to do today, but every day seems a little different, and also the same at the same time. I don’t know what day it is, I am a bird after all. I know that soon, some creature I know very well will come in, and I will get to eat. A big stretch to each wing, a big stretch for each leg, and some rousing really prepares me for eating the delicious quail I know is coming up. Honk honk.
I hear some noise. Kak kak kak kak kak. I don’t know who it is yet, but something is definitely coming. Kak kak kak kak. I think it’s safe now, but I will continue yelling just in case. You never know what dangers lie ahead.. I recognize the approaching creature’s face. I tolerate that face. I especially tolerate it when it’s about to give me some food. I will continue to honk and kak until I am satisfied, as you should never let creatures know your next move. Why does it dare to look inside my dominion? I have lived in this place for a long time, even though I don’t quite understand time either.
As I expected, my noise did not deter this creature from entering my space. I must yell again, although it is getting closer and presenting me with a branch I can perch on. I find that perch quite soft, and if I am remembering correctly, there may be food in my future. Food pretty much guides most of my decisions, like whether to honk or not to honk. I decide it’s best to step on the branch and take on this adventure. We leave the comfort of my place and step out into the big unknown.
Well, it turns out this isn’t as big an unknown, I have been out here before. There are big things and little things to see, and some other small, fluffy-tailed creatures that make a lot of noise and sometimes jump on top of my dominion. Looks like today I am working. I was put into my tiny home and taken to another uncharted land. The tiny home is dark and quiet, and nice.
The door opens and I have to honk, so…honk honk honk. Softly, because I have no idea where I am, but I must announce myself. I am presented with a soft branch again, and I step up, and I am greeted by smaller creatures, they’re staring, and most of them are brandishing their white little beaks. They look useless for tearing up food, but who am I to judge? Their honks and kaks are different from mine, and they look bald, not as fluffy and good-looking as me. I’m not sure what I look like, but I imagine I look better.
And so the time moves on, with me on the soft branch and the familiar creature talking and talking and moving me around the room. This doesn’t bother me, as long as nothing comes at me from behind, we have no problems. I mean, no one likes being sneaked up on. It’s a sensitive subject for me, but so far there have been no hiccups.
After a while, we take my tiny home back and return to the space I am used to. Now I am excited…honk honk honk. Wow, it looks so tidy and clean. Every day when I leave, even for a short while and I return, the gooey and feathery decorations I leave behind are gone, it’s like magic. Oh yes… I see my food, and I cannot wait to tear into it. I am nothing if not patient, so I let the creature get settled, and once I get the go-ahead, I fly to my tasty meal.
Some might think that being me is tough, but it really isn’t. I wake, I work, I eat, I sleep, and honk. It really is very routine, and I can’t say I really worry about much except what time I will eat. If I don’t feel good, there are creatures that take care of me, and the stress my cousins probably have about finding food? Never heard of her. Being a Raptor Ambassador does require some sacrifice. It’s not all cliffs and clear blue skies. I have to wear some accessories that don’t bother me at all, but aren’t the most fashionable, and sometimes I only get one mouse instead of two with my quail, outrageous. Overall, though, after doing this for who knows how long, I have no complaints!
And because you can never let them know your next move, I will continue honking whenever I can to keep them on their talons. They will never see it coming.
Disclaimer: Goose, our Peregrine Falcon, did not write this. This was written and imagined by our educator. Any ideas put forth do not reflect Goose’s opinions or feelings. Goose is a bird, and we have no idea what she is actually thinking.
This blog was written by Renata Vazquez, one of HWI’s Educators. You can learn more about Renata here.
Photos by Renata Vazquez.
