Pencil Sketch Of A Hawk In A Japanese Maple Tree

Pencil on Paper by Karen Kay Remus
Copyright February 13, 2014
3" x 4"

This morning I was washing dishes, looking out of the window above the sink, and suddenly, I realized that I had been looking straight at a hawk for several minutes that was extremely well camouflaged.  Its breast was the color of whitish tree fungus, and its dark tail stripes were in line with the branches behind it.  It was the closest I had ever been to a hawk.  Compared to the birds that normally sit in this tree, it looked huge--the size of a small cat.  

The funny thing was:  no matter how I positioned myself behind the window, I could not see its full face, because it was always obscured by this branch.  The branch gave it a sort of "hawk-a-lope" appearance that, if photographed or drawn would probably rub the viewer the wrong way.  Back in art school, if I had submitted a painting or serious drawing of this hawk as it actually appeared, I would have been lambasted.  "Why didn't you just NOT paint the obscuring branch?"  At the time, I wouldn't have been brave enough to reply, "because it was the single most interesting thing about the subject."
Was the hawk doing this "peek-a-boo"routine on purpose to push its ultra effective camouflage to the limit?  Did it think it made him even more invisible?  The hawk stayed very still, but occasionally, it would do that side to side "Egyptian" head move -- but not to the degree where I could see its whole face!  Was it aware of me?  Birds are extremely smart and sensitive.  This hawk probably knew I was there watching it, wanting to see its whole face, and it was just taunting me with head jives.  

After about half an hour of this, it just up and flew away.  Probably off to mess with another human's head or tear off (and eat) the head of a rodent.