A biggass hawk flew into the side of my car this morning on the way to work. I was on the way to work, not the hawk. I’m pretty sure, unless he works for the highway department road crew and was taking some extremely up close taffic pattern measurements.
Anyhoo, I’m putzing along along 45 north bound (near Good Hope) enjoying the morning drive while slurping coffee and I happen to notice this large bird of prey sailing along perpendicular to traffic. Really low to the ground, like just over the passing cars. Hey, we’re going to collide!.. brace for impact!..THUD. Hits the driver side door right where the bottom of the window meets the door panel.
If I would have been driving with the window rolled down he might have ended up in my lap!!
I couldn’t swerve, too much traffic and I was already in the right lane. The only way to have avoided this would have been to slam on the brakes at 65 and risk a possible accident as there were cars behind me (thankfully so, as the next one put the bird out of it’s misery). He bounced and rolled on the pavement and looked like he was trying to get it together when the next car swerved to try to avoid it and actually put a tire right across it’s body. Yuck.
Man that was a large bird and a large thump! Sheesh, I didn’t think they were THAT big! I knew (from an earlier thread about dogs and hawks) about how large they are but I never saw one this close.
I seriously would have been in big trouble if that thing had somehow made it into the car through that window.
Fuck, I’m glad I wasn’t on the motorcycle.
There is a small scuff mark on the door, I’m guessing from the beak and tallons and there was a peculiar odor on the car that I noticed.
Hawk piss?
Did the hawk die?
Do you by any chance drive a VW Rabbit?
I kind of implied that twice in the OP, although I didn’t come out and say it, but yes, he’s dead. He had a 3000 lb weight applied to his midsection. Several times.
I wish.
Poor hawk. Was any part of it salvageable though? (I collect hawk feathers)
Poor hawk. You couldn’t have done anything though.
Many years ago, while my husband was still an OTR truck driver, he had a buzzard hit his truck; or more precisely, hit his mirror, and literally spin around mirror by it’s neck. He said it was like something out of a cartoon and he couldn’t believe it. The buzzard didn’t make it either.
Not during the morning rush it wasn’t. Too much traffic, otherwise I would have stopped to aid the birdy dastard. Or gathered a souvenir.
Ah well.
Did remind me though of my dad telling me of an incident about 20 years ago where a crow flew right through the windshield of his truck. Thankfully it was on the passenger side (which was empty) and he wasn’t hurt. The crow, though, not so lucky. 
Was this hawk related to the bird in Alaska that tried to fly off with a deer head a couple weeks ago and only managed to fly into powerlines, resulting in fried bird and a power outage?
Good lord, don’t do that! It’s illegal in the US (possessing feathers, I mean) unless you are a licensed falconer or maybe an official bird rescue type person.
It’s legal if you have a permit, at least in Canada - I have no idea what US wildlife laws would be on birds of prey. I had to apply for one, which was granted partly because I’m part Cree and use the feathers on and with traditional regalia. I don’t know what conditions would be involved in getting a permit in the US.
I was driving home yesterday along the river road and saw a bald eagle flying parallel to me. And he was keeping up pretty well, about 40 miles an hour. His flight pattern suddenly changed, he hit the brakes and stuck his talons out. I looked ahead to see what he was after.
The lady walking the poodle must have heard it, cause she yanked that thing real close right after the eagle changed it’s mind a couple feet above her head.
:eek:
I once was on a bus on an overpass when a sea gull flew up from somewhere below and crossed right in front of us. It came this close to hitting our front window.
Poor hawk, though. What an undignified way to go. I’m glad you weren’t hurt, Uncommon Sense.