hawks

Who needs the Spice Channel when you've got live hawk-on-hawk action in Cambridge?

... 3.5 seconds later, the morning hawk does a pair of slow victory loops overhead. Smug bastard. Pigeons scatter.

The Globe reports Boston Police closed off a section of sidewalk at Clarendon and Stuart yesterday when "an injured red-tailed hawk touched down, possibly after flying into the side of the Prudential Center." With cool photo of the hawk shaking it off and taking flight.

MetroWest runner out for a trot gets dive-bombed by a red-tailed hawk. Complete with photo of the gouges on the back of his head:

... You know, after it hit me I was too busy trying not to fall face first onto the ground to take a swipe at him but I did feel the whoosh of the wings etc as it took off with my hat in its talons, dropped it a few wing beats later. ...

Third Decade reports winning a battle of wills with a hawk carrying some breakfast this morning. However, he did not pick up the spoils of victory, since he didn't have much need for a freshly killed squirrel.

Dan Miller noticed something amiss as soon as he left Park Street station: There wasn't a pigeon in sight. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye:

... It's a huge gray hawk, its wing span at least three feet. Maybe more.

The hawk settles on the street lamp, looking down at the Tremont Street traffic and the passersby, including me. ...

Miller also explains why it's a good thing he shifted course and didn't walk right under the bird.

Michael Burstein wonders:

When is it appropriate to interrupt a meeting at work to alert your co-workers to the presence of a red-tailed hawk?

Burstein found what seemed like an appropriate moment and so everybody broke for a few minutes and he took some photos of the hawk perched on the ledge outside their conference room nine stories above Copley Square today.

Joy of Sox relays an account from somebody who'd been leading a tour at Fenway Park two days ago:

... At first I wasn't sure what it was, but I looked and saw the hawk flying away. I put my hand up to the back of my head and when I pulled it away - a pool of blood in my hand. ...

Earlier:
Hawk returns to Fenway, attacks girl.

Hawk nest removed from Fenway Park after school girl scratched on tour:

... The hawk had been perched on a railing and swooped at the girl with its talons extended. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. ...

If so, there's at least one in Roxbury that would love Brookline:

... Over my head I note a commotion of frantic wings, then feel the unmistakable and powerful whoosh of a wingspan on my left cheek.

I look up to see tufts of white feathers raining down on me and the hawk, pigeon still writhing in its grasp. ...

Jesse Haley takes photos of a hawk making quick work of a pigeon:

Walked by the Burger King across the street from the Boston Garden and a flurry of pigeon feathers fell from above. I looked up and this hawk was devouring a very unfortunate pigeon.

Grisly - but that's life, right?

Hawk about to dine on a squirrel at the Arboretum.

Squab to go:

... [Reed Sturtevant] was walking to lunch in the square yesterday with another former Lotus legend, Bob Frankston, when an unusual sight stopped them in their tracks. As Sturtevant described it: "a hawk eating a pigeon in the middle of the sidewalk while about a dozen people stood around and watched. Bob had his camera and took this pic."

Ana went out to run some errands today and came back with some video of a hawk eating a pigeon atop a transformer on a Porter Square utility pole. Yum.

Ed. pigeon note: I ate pigeon once, in a Catalan restaurant in Washington, Yep, the menu said "pigeon" rather than "squab." It tasted like chicken (hah), only a lot greasier and tinier.

Hawk on a Common bench.

But not with an eagle eye.

Eileen watches as a hawk rips a seagull to shreds in her backyard:

Simultaneously gross and fascinating. I crept as close as I dared and took a picture with my zoom lens. I was afraid that if I got any closer, the hawk would think I was going after his lunchtime snack and try to gouge my eyes out. ...