Photograph by Robert Schmunk of http://bloomingdalevillage.blogspot.com/
I came face-to-face with a juvie red-tail as it was hunting
along Broadway between 111th and 112th Sts.
Face-to-face because at one point it landed in the middle of
Broadway to check out a miniscule bit of roadkill, and I chased
him off lest the oncoming M104 end the story.
That it was checking out whatever it was in the street made me
concerned that it was hungry and having bad luck hunting.
Pictures make me even more concerned, as in about 25-30
pix, I don't seem to have any where it is putting any weight
on its right leg.
Although I lost track of the juvie when it flew south 10 minutes
after I first saw it, it looks like it's still in the area. Pigeons in
the area are occasionally behaving like there's a predator
around.
Robert B. Schmunk
This is worrisome, for a full report, go to Rob's website at the link above. If you're out, do keep an eye peeled for this bird. D.B.
And more Holiday Hawk Whimsy from Jackie of the Tulsa Forum
"Twas the night before Christmas, when through the Hawks' house,
Not a creature was stirring--especially a mouse!
The stockings were hung by the nest bowl with care,
In hopes that old Santa Hawk soon would be there.
The Red Hawks were settled all snug in their beds,
While rodent-and-pigeon dreams danced in their heads.
With Kay, Jay and Thunder tucked into their nest,
We Forumers readied to sign off and rest.
When all of a sudden there 'rose such a clatter,
We sprang to our monitors--What was the matter?
The Hawk Camera panned, tilted up, tilted down--
Then it zoomed out to catch something clad all in brown.
The Moon o'er Peoria glistened and threw
A luminous luster around Channel 2.
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a sleigh, and a number of odd-looking deer.
With a driver we knew--it was clear from his squawk
That he plainly, it seemed, surely must be St. Hawk!
More rapid than falcons, his coursers they came;
Then he rose, and raptorally called them by name:
"Catbird, Catgirl, Socal, Sallyls, KC,
Workaholic, Observer, Trips, Bob, Wings2c,
Weeyin, Redfinch, Chinook, G-unit, Bville...."
(Others, off for a while--in our hearts, with us still.)
As dry leaves that before TU's Hurricane fly,
When they meet with a TV tow'r, mount to the sky,
So up to the Hawks' Nest the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of goodies, and Santa Hawk, too.
He was dressed in brown feathers, from talon to beak,
With a crimson-trimmed tail--an RT, so to speak.
Santa unpacked the bundle of presents he had
For a good little hawklet, her mom and her dad.
His eyes--how they twinkled, excitedly glowed!
His wings were like eagles', his feet, talon-toed.
His droll little beak was drawn up like a bow,
And the fluff on his belly was white as the snow,
With some speckles of rust--a right jolly old hawk;
And we typed Forum posts full of raptorous talk.
A blink of his eye and a flick of his tail
Prompted many a posting, IM and email--
Plus some queries to Donna for her expert touch,
'Bout his color, his size, his behavior and such--
"Is it usual for Redtails to fly after dark?
Do they do this at all o'er New York's Central Park?"
Santa squawked not a word, but went straight to the nest,
And he filled all the stockings with things hawks like best.
Then laying a talon aside of his beak,
Flapping once, flapping twice--he sped off like a streak.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a screech,
And away they departed from KJRH.
But we heard his "kree-eee-ar" ere he flew out of sight--
"Happy Christmas to Forum Friends ALL--and Goodnight!"
No comments:
Post a Comment