Monday evening in the cathedral close found a decidedly odd sight. One of the young red-tailed hawks was perched on the pulpit fence, looking around.
Wandering around on the grass below, at times just a few feet away, was a decidedly nonchalant squirrel.
It wasn't a case of a young and dumb squirrel, as at times there three or four of them on the lawn within swooping distance.
Apparently the hawk was digesting an earlier meal and was just casually, albeit actively, watching the area.
This went on for close to 20 minutes before the young hawk made a crude attempt to catch a squirrel. Then back onto the fence for a few minutes. Another crude attempt. Onto the fence for a couple minutes.
Then a more serious swoop at a squirrel in the open lawn, but the squirrel ducked into the bushes and the hawk sailed by, shoulder level but 6 or 7 feet away. He made another half dozen dives at the squirrels over the next 10 minutes, one almost successful, and perched overhead once.
An attack on the pigeons who were hanging about in the alley behind the old orphanage was followed by quiet as an angry robin stopped chirping and a nervous squirrel quit whining.
I too have watched some rather surprising hawk-squirrel interactions. I can understand the hawk's behavior - it's not hungry or it has a stomach ache or whatever. It's the squirrel behavior that intrigues me. Why tempt fate? What purpose could such risky behavior serve? Fascinating, and puzzling.
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