RIP Baby Hawk

Now, me and my truck had nothing to do this, although my death dealing truck was about 30 feet away -- but it was parked and played no role in the following tale!

Anywho, there are many hawks in the area outside my infernal office park -- both rather drab brown ones, and brighter Red Tails, as above. This is a male, and I believe a male was the culprit in the following crime:

Heard a screeching -- looked up to a light post to see one hawk charging another. That hawk flies to another light pole, followed by the screeching hawk, who again charges him. What I assume is the male flies off again to the original light pole, where I can see there is something on the top (I assumed it was food at first). The screeching hawk follows, and attacks again. The male flies off into the nearby woods, and what I assume is the female spreads her wings over the item on top of the light post - and then I see something fall. The screeching is going on the whole time. She flies off into the woods. I then run over to this lightpole (wary of hawk attack of course) to inspect what fell to the ground. Bummer -- a little tiny baby hawk. Dead. RIP little one.

I left quickly, what I assume is the mother returned to the light post, still screeching, as I left. And she continued to screech for the next five minutes, and longer for all know. It was all quite sad, but alas, nature, red in tooth and claw.

It is shocking to us, of course, but this behavior -- males killing babies -- seems quite common in the animal world. It's all about the genes, and it is brutal situations like the one above that should cause you to ask yourself: Who is really in charge of your life? You, or your genes?

I suspect most if not all people would say themselves. I would say, I'm not so sure about that. Consider for a moment the role sex plays in our life, and that is clearly a genetic imperative, and voila! You have the majority of our lives clearly ruled by genetic impulses. Are you so sure it's not your entire life?