Urban Falconry
Sunday, December 3rd, 2023
Two days ago, we were driving down a street when a squirrel ran across the roadbed. And then just above it came a lightning-fast flurry of wings. Missing its prey, the ivory-silver hunter perched on the electric wires — a full-grown rough-legged hawk or northern harrier. I’ve seen ospreys flying home with flounders in their talons, and our neighborhood was for a while the territory of a pair of peregrine falcons. I remember how birds would fall still and deathly silent when they heard the peregrine shriek. But watching the harrier stoop was a visceral experience. Hard not to think of Tony Curtis loosing his in The Vikings!
Image: Rough-legged Hawk