juvenile coopers hawk in the grass The Saga
of
Rufous and Henrietta Hawk

Chapter 7

Disaster Strikes Again!

May 24: The Hail Storm

On the evening of May 24, the skies darkened, and tornado sirens began to wail. Massive tornadoes have already devastated Joplin, Missouri, killing hundreds of people. Now another storm bears down on the Dallas area. As the storm swept through the metroplex, there were no tornadoes, but marble to golf ball-sized hail pounded everything in sight, including our vehicles. Surely one direct hit would kill a bird! How do animals protect themselves during a hail storm?

After the storm, we looked all around the nest tree. Thankfully, there were no dead birds on the ground. But the hail took down many small limbs, twigs, and leaves. Did the hawks survive? If eggs or chicks are in the nest, are they still okay?

Continue to Chapter 8: Watching and Waiting

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