Ok, so I usually post about neat wild plants, but today I had a really amazing experience up close and personal with a hawk(not sure what species) on my deck.  It was such a unique experience I felt I had to somehow document it.  I was sitting on my deck in the backyard that borders a greenbelt in the middle of east austin.  My friend Stephanie was over taking blood pressure and vitals for her midwifery training.  As my partner was getting his temperature taken, a hawk dipped down nest to us under the roof of our deck, grabbed something out of the air and flew away.  Apparently it was so intent on the hunt he or she didnt care there were 3 humans, 2 dogs and a cat within 3 ft of it.  I think its the closest I have ever been to such a magnificent bird of prey and it was beautiful.  I have often seen  one or two hawks calling back and forth to eachother in the greenbelt and high overhead but this one was hanging out on our fence yesterday and today came up to hang out with us————for a second.  So far my greenbelt has turned up rat snakes, possums, raccoons, squirrels, rattle snakes, a baby goat, 2 puppies, feral cats, skinks, garden snakes, a turtle, toads, frogs, woodpeckers, a python that has since disappeared, and an owl.  I feel pretty lucky to be able to have such a vast array of critters in the middle of the city in my backyard.  Yeah Austin!