I was sitting in the park, reading, when the hawk caught my eye and then caught his prey, about 20 feet from me. It was easily the coolest damn thing I’ve seen all week, and people, it has been a cool week.
As Stuart wryly pointed out when I expressed my excitement, “Citygirl Wowed By Cruel Pretty* Animal”.
What can I say, it’s not everyday I see a red-tailed hawk swoop out of a tree and nonchalantly pin a pigeon by the throat to the ground. Maybe YOU do. If that’s the case, you lead a strange and varied life.
Anyway, I have many other stories to tell you about moving, and closets, and cheese, but I wanted to perk up your Friday with some life and death awesomeness. Ain’t city life grand?
* mad points for the Westerfeld reference.
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Yeah, that’s pretty awesome. Even better than “Planet Earth” in HD.
I’m so looking forward to stories of cheese, Gromit.
It’s always cool when nature takes us out of our daily grind. We have some hawks in our neighborhood (I am in LA) and my fave similar tale is of my dogs foiling of a kill. She happened to startle a pidgeon (which she loves to do)seconds before the dive – right as the pidgeon flew off, a hawk smacked into the ground right where it had been. Better than coffee for the “wake me up” rush.
I do not want to come back as a pidgeon.
Every time I nonchalantly pin a pigeon to the ground by its throat, all the girls look at me, too.
I agree with Leah. Real time Planet Earth series.
Conrad, if I’d been drinking anything just then, you would have made me spit it out laughing.
this is going to sound kind of random. i have my eye on the same ikea bed you guys had (still have?) and i was wondering if you like it? is it sturdy? worth buying? epinions has overwhelmingly negative reviews of ikea’s ‘customer service.’
Kat – who goes to IKEA for customer service? They have customer service? I’ve never seen any.
Seriously, though, the Noresund bed is AWESOME. I mean seriously, awesomely, awesome. It looks like a million bucks and is, in fact, not. Get it!
Just don’t expect customer service from IKEA. Expect ultra-cheap prices and allen keys.
Actually, while if I saw that happen everyday my life might be strange, it certainly wouldn’t be varied.
Also, I’m not sure how to take the obvious omen that my new neighborhood lives by the rule of the strong. I’m frail and a bit scrawny, and not entirely ready to live by the law of the jungle.
That is definitely a hawk that just ate a Vietnamese sandwich.
That could be an Onion headline. Love it.
I wish one of those hawks would come and make a meal out of the crappy pigeons that hang out on my balcony. That would make my day. Great capture.
A week or so ago, the Anchorage newspaper had on its front page a photo of a bear that had just eaten a moose or something in somebody’s yard. It was newsworthy enough to make the front page, but I wonder if it’s really news there.
Isn’t that the famous Palemale?
Fin, Pale Male lives in Central Park with his current mate, Lola, and we’re a little far out for his daily journeys. More likely, this hawk lives in Green-wood Cemetery or Prospect Park nearby – both green spaces much bigger than our little Sunset Park.