Hawkish on running!

October 20, 2012

It was a crisp, clear morning.  Low-lying fog added a pleasant sense of hidden possibilities.

At the Hitchcock Nature Center, participants were readying themselves for the 8th Annual Hawk Watch 5K run/walk.  I would estimate 60 intrepid individuals were encased in various numbers of layers of clothing.

Luckily I had been training two days before, (and I had run this very route a little over a year ago) so I more or less rocked the run!  (Note:  No, that is not a deliberate mis-typing of the word "walked."  I actually felt pretty good out there!?)  I'm probably going to get a cool personalized license plate to brag about how I'm pretty good at occasional trail-running.  I'm thinking OC TRLRN.  Is that too many letters?  Might have to remove that space.  Maybe PGATR for pretty good at trail-running?

The t-shirt is long-sleeved, which is nice.

Also the sparsely attended event offered plenty of space for running at your own damned pace.  I only had one near collision, and I blame her for wearing those headphones, dammit!  Although I am feeling pretty keen on myself for completing the run successfully, I am also feeling slightly achy and perhaps more cantankerous than usual.

After the event I climbed the tower

where I encountered a raptor counter.  I did not ask him his name, as we were busily engaged in raptor-related rhapsodizing.  I will call him Hawk.  He was a pleasant conversationalist.  He informed me that 18 species of raptors pass through the area.  Kestrel populations may be declining.  There are something like 120 raptor counting stations from Texas to Saskatchewan.  Just in case you've followed the lead of another bird and had your head in the sand for the past 12 years, Hitchcock was also the first officially designated IBA (Important Bird Area) in IA.  The Swainson's Hawk and the broadwinged hawk also have impressively long migration patterns.  Down to Argentina for Swainson's and about the same for the broadwing.  Swinson's generally range west of Hitchcock NC, whereas the broadwings prefer the area east of it.  Billy made an interesting statement:  "All raptors are diurnal."  Wha?  Do you mean owls are not raptors?  I took an ornithology class back in the '90s, and I pretty much thought owls were considered raptors too.  Let me look into that.  Yes.  I have confirmed that owls are considered raptors by most birders.  Maybe Hawk is just a little biased since he can't see the night raptors, let alone count them!

 After my talk with Hawk, I began to amble back over towards the finish area to see if they were handing out prizes.  Although most of the medals I have received in my moderately active sporting endeavors have been for participating, I have won a few medals for actual speed.  Most recently, in 2009 I received an age group award for the 5K Cinco de Mayo Run.

I think I was 3rd, and there weren't more than 6 or so of us in the age group, but it is still a win in my books!  There weren't many participants at this event, either, so I figured my chances were fair to middlin'.  When I got there, however, the award bags had been handed out to the first place finisher in each age group along with some overall awards.  Ouch.  As you may have noticed, I am fiercely competitive if I win something, but if I don't then I'm not.  Well, it was a beautiful day to be out in a beautiful place and I had a hoot!  Thanks Hawk and Ranger Billy and all those involved in putting this event together!  Let's give a hoot!

So what are you up to this weekend?  I noticed Omaha Bikes' calendar shows a tweed ride scheduled tomorrow from 2-4 starting at Jones Brothers cupcakes out in Aksarben Village.  If I had tweed and an old timey bicycle I would consider attending.  As it is I've got a nice corduroy jacket and an Old Bastard of a bicycle and I like it, dammit!  Get rollin' you young whippersnappers!  You old grumps too, dammit!