Broad-winged Hawk Animal Symbolism: An Answer to Prayer

A couple days ago I had a slight impression not to do something. I thought I was just being chicken-y and did it anyway. I ended up regretting it. This morning, this incident was on my mind as I said my morning prayers. I asked God to help me get clearer on understanding when I’m being inspired to do something (or not do something). Could it be clearer? Could He turn up the volume, maybe?

Following an Impression

When Dave and I were getting ready to go blueberry picking at the Blueberry Farm in Lafayette, Georgia this morning, I felt impressed to take my camera with me. Normally, I wouldn’t carry my big camera when I know my hands will be full. I needed both my hands for the bucket and to pick blueberries. This time, I followed the nudge and put my camera bag in the car with me. I thought maybe I’d see some interesting birds along the way.

When we arrived at the Blueberry Farm, I left the camera bag in the car. It didn’t occur to me to lug it around while I picked blueberries. We picked for maybe 5 minutes; and then Dave pointed out a high-pitched cry and suggested I pull up the Merlin bird-identification app on my phone.

It identified as a broad-winged hawk. I looked up and this beautiful white under bellied hawk flew over us. I enjoyed watching it for a minute. Then, I jogged back to the car to get my camera bag. I kept the camera on the ground with me while we continued to pick, but the bird wasn’t around.

I trusted that the hawk might return since I had been inspired to bring the camera. Or maybe I’d see something else to photograph later. I didn’t worry about it but said a little silent prayer that the hawk would return. We picked blueberries for about an hour, and then just as we were wrapping up, we heard the broad-winged hawk’s high-pitched cry again. I looked up and the hawk was a bit far away, but I zoomed in and took several pictures with my camera. The hawk kept circling and circling, getting closer to where we were picking near the road.

Eventually, the big bird was directly over my head, and I got several more photos. The broad-winged hawk eventually flew to a tree, perched there for less than a minute, and moved to another tree. I got more pictures.

Unfortunately, most of the photos were back-lit. These are a few I got that I was able to lighten enough to see the beautiful bird’s feathers.

Broad-winged Hawk Animal Symbolism

Hawks symbolize courage, determination, vision, intelligence. Broad-winged hawks in particular have historically represented the Divine.

I feel like Heavenly Father answered two of my prayers by giving me an impression to carry my camera and then giving me a second chance to photograph this big, beautiful hawk. It’s a new bird for me. I usually see red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks around our property. The fact that this type of hawk specifically symbolizes the Divine is also a lovely answer to my prayers. I’m grateful God gave me a chance to receive an impression, follow it, and see a fun, tangible result — all in one day!