Posted on 06/02/2015 3:44:03 PM PDT by Theoria
A newcomer has arrived at the White House, provoking fierce turf battles and carrying out more than one lethal confrontation in broad daylight. But this is no political power struggle; it is nature.
A red-tailed hawk is prowling the lush White House lawn and perching just above the second-story window of President Obama’s East Wing residence, lured by a booming population of gray squirrels and undeterred by the harassment of smaller birds that have tried in vain to displace it.
The hawk has captivated those who frequent the White House, from visitors to journalists to staff members, some of them amateur bird-watchers who have delighted in its comings, its goings and especially its eating habits.
It has been spotted several times stalking prey on the White House lawn, including last week when it dived and grabbed an unfortunate squirrel and tore into it at lunchtime right in Mr. Obama’s driveway.
“A gray squirrel is a fantastic meal for them,” said Tom Auer, a conservation data specialist at the National Audubon Society. “So as long as the food is there and there’s habitat — these tall buildings with open roofs are great places for them to hunt — and it doesn’t feel threatened, it will hang out.”
He added, “If they find a good population of squirrels, they will stay until the food supply is exhausted.”
It is hardly the first time that a bird of prey has appeared on the White House grounds, which are technically a national park called President’s Park. The National Park Service website notes that visitors may spot “migratory birds and the occasional red-tailed hawk or bald eagle” on the premises.have forgotten.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
That isn’t a red-Tail but it sure is of the raptor family. Say hello to T-Rex’s great, great, etc. grandkid!
It’s part of mine....
They follow me around when I’m on the tractor mowing, catching rats or anything else I scare up.
Every now and then one will land on my brush guard and ride around with me until I scare something up for it to eat.
I thought it was Perigrene falcon.
True, that is a golden eagle, I believe, but the red-tail’s mate was getting pretty agitated, and I didn’t want to push my luck!
lol....vicious...ouch
I live out in the country too.
About a month ago a momma red fox brought all her young’uns out of the den and were roaming around in my yard.
One of the young’uns had already learned to catch rats and had one almost as big as he was.
With all the rain here in Texas it’s rat city. They’re coming up out of the flooded areas and they’re everywhere.
Anything that catches rats is fine by me.
For a few years I had an office in a historic converted wood frame house on the edge of downtown Tallahassee. My desk was next to a window that had a view of a tree branch a few feet away that was used by a hawk to eat its meals, mostly pigeons, squirrels, and rats. The hawk was such a successful hunter that it never seemed to go hungry.
Could be a woods hawk. They are death on squirrels and birds.
Nah, they’re little things. But fast as lightning!
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