Killed a hawk today riding - bugger I like them

[MD]

I'm an animal lover from way back. Feel sick about it.
Coming into a very tight left hander in Piecock Rd, blind corner and close to the rock face and this beautiful hawk launches from the grass at the edge of the seal. Bounces off my screen then my helmet.
I had to go a few corners on before I could safely do a U-turn and go back to check on the poor fella. Narrow road, little room for a u-turn but not for an F800, they turn on a dime. Well not in NZ, we don't have dimes, but you get my drift.
He was lying spread out on his back in the middle of the lane. I felt sorry for him so moved him off the road. Too majestic an animal to get squashed by traffic.
This was a good sized bird. Atleast it's not spring so no chicks waiting back in a nest for a never to return parent.
RIP birdie and sorry about that. I don't even feel mad that he scratched my screen, a permanent reminder now.
Why couldn't it have been a pesty possum.

[gijoe1313]

Poopers, but at least you are able to reflect on it and not have it be the cause of something worse happening to you! And yeah, I love watching birds of prey flying around - I've pulled to the side of the road just to watch them circle around and fly off...

[janno]

Poor hawkie. Is it that time of year for it to have been a young one?

The last time I lived in the wops there were certain times you had to be extra careful of them because all the gangly teenage hawks were out and about and had no road sense whatsoever, whereas the old hands had learnt to listen for traffic and fly off the road not across it etc.

[Mom]

You poor bastard.........horrible experience for you. If it makes you feel anybetter, i once ran over a few tiny little duckings...........you know how they walk in a line behind their Mom?

Well this lot stepped out and were right across the lane I was driving in, oncoming traffic and a drain to my left Maha man called me a murderer for a while after that........

[VasalineWarrior]

Have some KFC to remember him by

[Korumba]

Lucky something like this did not happen as well.

[Patrick]

CPR? Kiss of Life??? New Prop in a porn movie???

Could have been knocked out?

[Goblin]

RIP birdie and sorry about that. I don't even feel mad that he scratched my screen, a permanent reminder now.
Why couldn't it have been a pesty possum.

Maybe because possums are nocturnal.
If you had hit a possum on a tight left hander Im sure it would have left more of a reminder than a scratched screen.
RIP birdy! I know how ya feel about killing such a beautiful bird. I killed one in my car a few weeks back. Not nice at all.

[Trudes]

That's a bummer, poor birdy. They will wait till the last minute to get off the road sometimes though, guess that one just pushed his luck a little too far today hey. A flatty of mine hit a hawk on his bike once, made a hell of a mess of the bike, blood, guts and feathers through everything, really gross!

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Bummer...

I love Hawks and birds of prey as well... Many years ago (errr 30ish) me and my dad hand reared an NZ Brown HAWK... ok mainly my dad, (he had a broken wing, don't no what happened)... went to set him free about 3 months later, we didn't think he would make it and he didn't go past the tree out back... he stayed there for 15 odd years, we never feed him, but we had no pest problem ... he would come and land on your arm on demand (frigging thick sack too, was heavy for a young 8 year old)

I remember when he first landed on me I couldn't hold him up, and his wings flappin in my face, and i fell over, with the hawk steering down at me, then flew off and we tried again... hurt like a hawk in the face... oh it was... It was about 2 years later before I could barely hold the weight.

[Mr. Peanut]

Hawk chops?

[Cr1MiNaL]

RIP hawkie, I love animals, once hit a pheasant on old albany highway in my cage.. was late at night 2 am returnin frm uni after study (next day was our final), we waited near him he was yelling and his mates were all getin bothered in the nearby bushes... we called spca a lady came after 1 hr n took him home to nurse (cook) him back to health. I hope he made a fast recovery/dish. :P Naw hope hes doin fine... I also ran over a mouse 1ce n killed it.... I feel sorry abt that too n burried him later... make ur peace with the bird mate, burry him properly with a cross if u can, his spirit will b with u forever, he wont b angry as it was unintentional. but u will soar like a hawk on that machine of urs... Peace.

[jtzzr]

Bummer man ,poor bird:bye

[sels1]

Bad luck Mark....for you and the bird. His number was up (yours wasnt) not much you can do about it. I have had a close shave with him (or one of his mates) on this road myself.

[sunhuntin]

bugger. thats my worst nightmare.... i love hawks, and always take a sighting off one as meaning a good day ahead. [in the warm months its monarch butterflies. in the winter, hawks]
i think i would have plucked a feather... id love to have a hawk feather.