The Feathers Flew!

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ndow and I’m used to the little fracases that kick up between the sparrows.</p><figure id="3e4c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*_WQy9rCy8FDpY1OsPj_EJw.png"><figcaption>Photo Credit — AleXander Hirka / Used with permission / Tough to get photos of the sparrows sometimes, let alone a damned hawk!</figcaption></figure><p id="be1a">But today there was a sudden loud flapping of wings as everyone took flight at the same time. By the time I looked out, there were literally about a dozen feathers gently drifting in the breeze.</p><p id="60d0">Then I leaned forward a bit and saw the hawk all of four feet away from me.</p><p id="232f">A hawk sitting right on my fire escape!</p><p id="1c0a">I’m guessing it was a red-tailed hawk, but what do I know? It turned its head and then was gone. Even if I’d been sitting there with my phone in my hand, I never would have gotten that shot (and so a huge thank you to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/niznoz/">Nicholas Noyes</a> who <i>did</i> manage to get the shot, but in 2012 and on another fire escape).</p><p id="22e2">It was kind of like having a dragon land on the fire escape. The near-mythical quality of having a large bird of prey turn and look at me still has me shivering with delight.</p><p id="d6d2">I guess I’m glad the hunt was a bust. Not sure how I’d feel about watching that near-mythical bird tearing on

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e of my mild-mannered doves apart.</p><p id="d5b8">Living two blocks from Central Park means that we have a surprising amount of interaction with wildlife. There are raccoons (and, yes, one has made up onto a nearby fire escape) and every type of bird you can imagine. One of my favorite Twitter pages is the <a href="https://twitter.com/BirdCentralPark">Manhattan Bird Alert</a> and I’m always astonished by the great photos those intrepid birders are able to get. Unlike me.</p><p id="8d87">Meaning you’ll just have to believe that a hawk landed on my fire escape today. Of course, given that I am often a writer of fiction, you might be wondering.</p><p id="7542">Ask my cat.</p><p id="8cb1">Oh, but by sunset, the doves and the sparrows were all back at it.</p><p id="4889"><i>© Remington Write 2021. All Rights Reserved.</i></p><div id="b89b" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/birds-of-new-york-bony-3edfd8bda5dc"> <div> <div> <h2>Birds of New York (BONY)</h2> <div><h3>Ok, Birds of My Fire Escape</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*r-nbYEM0o1hSecvy7saBBQ.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

The hawk that crashed the doves’ party

Last winter I began putting birdseed out on the fire escape and attracted a number of plump, hard-to-perturb mourning doves, spatterings of chattering sparrows, and a threesome of flighty bluejays. It made for a much more interesting winter than usual. Kind of like having a nature show without David Attenborough to narrate outside my window.

Photo Credit — AleXander Hirka / Used with permission / Even if he’d been home, unlikely he’d have gotten a photo of the hawk

I like to get those seed bells (which were out of stock when the above photo was taken) although I also put loose seed on the window sill as well as out on the steps for all the not-doves who are uncomfortable perching on the windowsill with my cat for an audience. Go figure. My workspace is next to the window and I’m used to the little fracases that kick up between the sparrows.

Photo Credit — AleXander Hirka / Used with permission / Tough to get photos of the sparrows sometimes, let alone a damned hawk!

But today there was a sudden loud flapping of wings as everyone took flight at the same time. By the time I looked out, there were literally about a dozen feathers gently drifting in the breeze.

Then I leaned forward a bit and saw the hawk all of four feet away from me.

A hawk sitting right on my fire escape!

I’m guessing it was a red-tailed hawk, but what do I know? It turned its head and then was gone. Even if I’d been sitting there with my phone in my hand, I never would have gotten that shot (and so a huge thank you to Nicholas Noyes who did manage to get the shot, but in 2012 and on another fire escape).

It was kind of like having a dragon land on the fire escape. The near-mythical quality of having a large bird of prey turn and look at me still has me shivering with delight.

I guess I’m glad the hunt was a bust. Not sure how I’d feel about watching that near-mythical bird tearing one of my mild-mannered doves apart.

Living two blocks from Central Park means that we have a surprising amount of interaction with wildlife. There are raccoons (and, yes, one has made up onto a nearby fire escape) and every type of bird you can imagine. One of my favorite Twitter pages is the Manhattan Bird Alert and I’m always astonished by the great photos those intrepid birders are able to get. Unlike me.

Meaning you’ll just have to believe that a hawk landed on my fire escape today. Of course, given that I am often a writer of fiction, you might be wondering.

Ask my cat.

Oh, but by sunset, the doves and the sparrows were all back at it.