Sidney on Sunday celebrated the little red tailed hawk that could, during a special block party.
A gathering was organized by residents of Summerset Place in Sidney, the location where a baby hawk had to scrabble among three baby bald eagles and two large parents, for its very survival.
Once it was discovered in a large eagles nest by residents in the area, word spread about this unusual situation.
David Hancock, of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation, says he knows of only two other documents cases of a hawk being raised by eagles. This one, he continued, received a lot more attention that the other two incidents and generated a lot of curiosity around the world.
Both Hancock and wildlife biologist David Bird — who lives nearby the nest itself — said this was an opportunity for them to help educate people about both hawks and eagles. And judging by the reaction the hawk received, it was an opportunity well spent.
Sidney Mayor Steve Price delivered the proclamation by the municipality on Sunday, Aug. 6 — declaring it to the gathered crowd and giving a framed copy over to Hancock.
Hancock said the hawk itself has been flying for about five weeks and at of Aug. 6, hadn’t been seen around the area for about nine days.
Still, the crowd got a thrill when, during the mayor’s proclamation, an eagle soared high above, underscoring the reason everyone was there in the first place: the beauty of nature in all its forms.
