Flying Hard to Stand Still

Unfashionable life lessons from birdwatching

Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash

Yesterday I was driving on a long, unbroken stretch of winding prairie highway. My toddler napped in the backseat so I had a rare and welcome moment to muse, uninterrupted by anything but the occasional road sign.

Off to my left, I caught sight of a large bird of prey, a hawk or a falcon. It hovered 40 feet above the…