Country roads can take me home but we enjoy driving from post to post to post, especially in early September. French King, Henry IV wished for a “chicken in every pot” for every peasant during the late 16th or early 17th century. We hope for a hawk on every post.
Along with adults, juvenile hawks, mainly Swainson's Hawks, adorn the posts along several of rural farm and ranching areas east of Calgary. The Swainson's Hawk is a large hawk, which can wear a variety of color patterns, clearly evident on the youthful post sitters. Not seeing humans as dangerous yet, it is not unusual to be able to drive and stop right beside a juvenile and press the shutter button several times. Adults though, do not have the same naivety and much like a banana, is more likely to split, heading for a hay bale preferably distant from any curious human.
If you haven't hugged a Swainson's Hawk lately, being able to distinguish the juvenile can be done both by its appearance. Knowledge of key physical differences is helpful. Juveniles sport a heavily streaked or speckled chest, while the adult chest, often called a bib, is a solid and clearly edged reddish to dark brown chest band. The tail also provides indications of age. Juveniles have a narrow, less distinctive dark tail band, while that of the adult has a clearly defined wider, dark band near the tip of the tail.
Although the majority of post sitters are Swainson's, we've had the opportunity to see Northern Harrier, Ferruginous and Red-tailed hawks make use of man's practical fence line. However, in each case of the these three raptors, it has for us, been a rare post sighting.
Larger trees are often used as perches, but there are good reasons for any hawk to use the multitude of posts in farm country. Having eyesight eight times better than human sight, the post is a fine location for a clear view of fields, grass and roads. It's easier to track movement of a mouse and see the ultraviolet light that marks a mouse's trail on the ground. Road kill can be spotted with ease, making for a quick hunt. Posts also provide a fine launch pad for clear lines of flight when searching for or pursuing prey. Post tops can serve as tables, where the hawk can disassemble a gopher and any other rodent within its talons. After a sumptuous meal, rest and relaxation are in order to aid in meal digestion. With incredible distances for migration to complete, posts can be used to rest, moult feathers and conserve strength in bad weather.
Going post-all, peering down the fence lines on a birding drive can be rewarding. You may not see a chicken on every post, but there's always a chance of appreciating our magnificent hawk species.