This afternoon at the end of my weekly walk around the Oxbow Lagoon at North Chagrin Metropark in Willoughby Hills, I spotted a red-tailed hawk perched about 20 feet up in a tree at the edge of the lagoon and about 50 feet away from me.  He seemed to be watching the area below him but suddenly (while I had my binoculars on him), he dropped down and then I realized he was coming straight towards me.  I lowered my binoculars as he swooped past 2' over my head and as I turned to see where he went, he pounced on a mouse at the edge of lagoon 15' directly behind me.  He only stayed on the ground long enough to be sure of his grasp and then returned to the tree to eat it.  Once I recovered from the surprise of having a hawk swooping right at me, I got to thinking how little it bothered him that I was there and wondering how he "spotted" that mouse behind me -- wondering how much "hearing" helps hawks hunt?
Birds were very active with the mild weather.  The field south of the lagoon has small flocks of tree sparrows, bluebirds, and juncos.  I also saw two male hairy woodpeckers at the same time working in dead ash trees about 60 feet apart.  I feel like I'm seeing hairy woodpeckers more frequently along the Chagrin River -- wondering if they are benefitting from the emerald ash borer?
The brambles in one section of that field are host to quite a few praying mantis egg cases and this afternoon, I watched a downy woodpecker opening one and emptying it.  
An interesting walk!Mary HueyWilloughby, Lake County  

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