GRAPEVINE, Texas — There are some things you can explain.
“It is a red-tailed hawk, a female. We assume about three years old or more,” said Hailey LeBaron, Blackland Prairie Raptor Center Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager, describing the hawk had been in their care for a month.
And there are some things you can't explain. That was the case for Joclyn Lara. She and her husband were driving on State Highway 121 in Grapevine on January 2. It was dusk.
“We just see a giant bird coming at us. My husband kind of slows down,” said Lara. “We just heard a big thump. And we just saw its wings like spread.”
Then, the unthinkable happened.
“Once we got home, my husband turned off the truck. And we heard some noise. And we just looked at each other like, 'wait a minute, what is going on?'” said Lara.
The hawk flew directly into Lara’s fog light on her truck.
“We're just both surprised and just shocked at what had just happened,” said Lara. “We have no idea how.”
The hole has a circumference of about two to three inches. Lara reached out to Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, which is a nonprofit that provides wildlife rehabilitation services. Their volunteer, Rebecca, came to rescue the hawk stuck inside the vehicle.
“We took X Rays. We did blood work. We made sure there was no infection, and all we found were some bumps and bruises. So, it was really shocking to us that there wasn't anything else wrong with this bird, maybe a neurologic issue as to why it was flying a little bit later than they would normally be flying because they are daytime birds,” said LeBaron.
The center named the hawk 240003, but WFAA nicknamed the bird, Miracle.
“Just the whole story of this bird is definitely, definitely one for the books, definitely a miracle bird,” said Lebaron.
Friday afternoon, Blackland set the hawk free back into the wildlife. “It's definitely full circle fulfillment, kind of feeling, to finally see a patient leave,” said LeBaron.
“My husband I have been talking about this. And we've been saying like if you believe in anything, that is what protected the bad bird and us that day. For sure,” said Lara.
So, when you can’t make it make sense, you chalk it up to a miracle.
The hawk did not fly very far when released, but at least she was freed just in time for baby season in the spring.
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