AT NYO A C172'S PROP STRUCK A RWY LIGHT WHILE EXITING THE RWY ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A BIRD STRIKE AFTER LNDG.

Narrative

I WAS ON MY FOURTH TOUCH AND GO AND HAD ALREADY TOUCHED DOWN AND LOWERED THE NOSEWHEEL. I WAS SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE. THE THROTTLE WAS AT IDLE; SPD WAS ABOUT 35 KTS. I HAD A LITTLE R AILERON AS THE WIND AT THAT MOMENT WAS COMING FROM ABOUT 290-300 DEGS AT ABOUT 12-15 KTS. I GLANCED DOWN QUICKLY TO BE SURE I WAS ON THE FLAP SWITCH AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. I WAS STILL DRIFTING A LITTLE TO THE L; SO I PUT IN A LITTLE R RUDDER TO REGAIN RWY CTR. AT THE SAME TIME I SAW A HAWK AT ABOUT THE 10 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 50-60 FT OUT ABOUT 7 FT HIGH; WINGS STIFF IN A GLIDE; COMING DIAGONALLY ACROSS MY PATH; L TO R (HDG ABOUT 070 DEGS) IN THE DSCNT. IT WAS ONLY VISIBLE FOR A SECOND OR TWO BUT TIME ENOUGH FOR ME TO INSTINCTIVELY REACT AND TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. I WENT FOR THE BRAKES AND ATTEMPTED TO STEER SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF CTR TO AVOID A BIRD STRIKE. WHEN I DID THIS IT FELT LIKE THE WIND SHIFTED AT THE SAME TIME NOW COMING FROM THE L TO SOMETHING MORE LIKE 260 DEGS KICKING THE TAIL TO THE R. THE PLANE TURNED ABOUT 15 DEGS TO THE L OF STRAIGHT; MORE THAN I ANTICIPATED. AT THAT POINT I TRIED TO STEER AROUND THE RWY LIGHT IN MY PATH BUT WAS TOO CLOSE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK. ONE BLADE OF THE PROP STRUCK A RWY LNDG LIGHT ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM THE THRESHOLD AS THE PLANE WENT ONTO THE GRASS. BY THIS TIME I WAS GOING MUCH SLOWER; AND THE THROTTLE WAS STILL ALL THE WAY OUT. I SLOWLY TAXIED THE PLANE BACK ONTO THE RWY AND UP TO THE TIE-DOWN AREA. I RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE PERSON AT THE FBO.