Readers Cameraphone: Never Mind The Wild Packs Of Dogs, Here Come THE HAWKS!
this is super random but your post about wild dogs running the streets inspired me to send this to you! I live in south philly down on 3rd street and on Saturday I looked out my window to see this monster staring at me. I’ve seen hawks flying around before but i never saw one this close in the city. If you see in the photo, he’s clutching his afternoon snack of a pigeon. And he proceeded to sit there for 2 hours ripping that thing apart and eating it. Gross and creepy. Thanks, hawk, for leaving feathers all over my roof. jerk. What the hell is going on? Is this normal to see?!!!
anyway, enjoy the day- it’s beautiful out. I hope that hawk doesn’t eat small dogs. i’m a little worried for people’s pets!
Seeing something around town of note? Cameraphone it to: tips[at]philebrity[dot]com.
March 10th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
They build their nests this time of year, so you will see a lot more hawk ctivity. Not an uncommon sight in the burbs.
March 10th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Falcon hawks are much bigger
March 10th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
That there looks like a juvenile red tailed hawk. Probably less than 2 years old, which means that the likelihood he or she would be preparing to nest is pretty low. There has been a significant up tick in the hawk populations in urban areas where they seem to predate primarily upon pigeons, which is weird considering they usually like small mammals. Red tails will go after whatever is around, plentiful, and easy to kill, which makes the city an ideal hunting ground with many a pigeon to eat and nice tall buildings from which to launch attacks. More hawks=fewer pigeons, and that’s okay with me.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Gross and creepy? Nah. Population control.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I’m not sure if it’s still the case but there used to be hawks hanging around Eastern State Penitentiary – back when I worked there we would occasionally have to clean up the remains of their pigeon snacks.
The nastiest was when he chased a pigeon into one of the cellblocks and ate it on the floor, leaving a ribcage and a perfect circle of feathers around it – but not much else.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
A few weeks ago I was at HUP for an upper GI exam(I’m fine, thanks for asking). Being put under was a new experience for me, but even trippier was that upon our exit, my wife and I were treated to seeing a hawk swoop down and snatch a pigeon away from a pile of birdseed spread out by one of our city’s many “crazy bird ladies.”
She started screaming bloody murder at that hawk, who had perched just above the entrance to the hospital feasting on the pigeon. In my still intoxicated state, I yelled back, equally as loud, “Circle of life, lady!” Then as we walked to the trolley, I wouldn’t shut up about it or let my wife under-appreciate the awesome spectacle of nature we just witnessed. At least I think that’s how it happened.
March 10th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Marc Singer must be nearby
March 10th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Last summer I saw a decent crowd standing around the subway entrance at 17 and market taking camera phone pics. I though someone was dead or fell down the stairs, but instead there was a huge hawk down there eating a pigeon. It was pretty cool.
I saw a video about hawks in central park where they showed overhead clips of hawks picking off pigeons midair while while people walked around below oblivious.
March 10th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Visting from Petty Island.”Jiminity Cricket he must have god damn rador in his brain… the son of a bitch must be molting”
March 10th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
I live near Eastern State Pen – and apparently the hawks still do, too. I work in Mount Laurel, NJ and it’s never surprising to see them around my office building, but I was shocked to see one perched on the railing of my roofdeck early one morning in December, mere feet from my bedroom. It was huge, and it was contemplating some prey at its feet, then it took off. Fascinating!!
March 10th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
The Hawk will never Die!
March 10th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Doc’s right: young Redtail. The tail will throw you off when they’re this age. Makes them look like Cooper’s Hawk.