A Great Black Hawk from way down south had gotten lost; was sittin’
in Portland, Maine – so far from home – and got his toes frostbitten.
Not known just how he got here from his native habitat
where it’s quite warm – so when it got cold, he was not prepared for that.
When word first came he was up north, those focused on bird-watching
all flocked to his location; brand-new species count for notching.
But some dedicated people, whose attention was unflagging,
saw this hawk was in distress and helped; his energy was sagging.
They quickly scooped him up and brought him to a sanctuary
in hopes he could recover from the cold of January.
This migrant bird: embraced… And yet for reasons that aren’t clear,
not every other immigrant receives such welcome here.