Althouse: A hawk — I photographed this without moving from my desk chair.

August 12, 2019

A hawk — I photographed this without moving from my desk chair.

72 comments:

MadisonMan said...: I've seen plenty of rodents for that hawk to eat.; 8/12/19, 2:00 PM
rhhardin said...: WOL; 8/12/19, 2:06 PM
rhhardin said...: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0b/b1/cb/0bb1cb1d1f25df1b936591e1df80a4a8.png
(WOL); 8/12/19, 2:08 PM
Chuck said...: Yeah, they were really active in Althouse's neighborhood when I was there some years ago. I saw them hunting actively on the edges of the playground behind Randall Elementary, where they had a little space to fly. Although they don't need much. Fascinating animals.; 8/12/19, 2:10 PM
Francisco D said...: Yeah, they were really active in Althouse's neighborhood when I was there some years ago. I saw them hunting actively on the edges of the playground behind Randall Elementary

Hmm...

I find that somewhat disturbing, and I am not talking about the hawk.; 8/12/19, 2:14 PM
Achilles said...: Democrats are just fascists waiting for their chance to take over.

This is coming out of their own mouths.

If they take over the government then war.; 8/12/19, 2:19 PM
Jeff Brokaw said...: Better give your dog some fixed bayonet training...; 8/12/19, 2:20 PM
Rob said...: What was the hawk doing in your desk chair?; 8/12/19, 2:20 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: hopefully wont cause as much ruckus as "Pale Male" on 5th

..and the neighbors dont kick your eyasses; 8/12/19, 2:25 PM
Dude1394 said...: Love it, the wife and I are pretty avid birders, a hawk never fails to take our breath away.; 8/12/19, 2:26 PM
Lucid-Ideas said...: "Holy crap I can see Epstein's body double from here! Althouse you gotta see this!"

- Tony Hawk; 8/12/19, 2:28 PM
Dude1394 said...: We were out and about the other day. Saw a Caracara land on a phone pole with a mouse or some creature dangling out of it's mouth, then the wife flies ( less than 2 seconds) up squawks a little bit and takes it from him and flies off.

Funny and quite wonderful.; 8/12/19, 2:28 PM
Rick.T. said...: Had red tailed hawks nest in our woods about 200 feet from the house. The racket they made whenever we opened the garage door was slightly unnerving. Never tried to get closer but they didn’t come back the next year.

Also had a hawk visit our Chicago back yard many years ago probably by the birds at the feeder. A very FU look on its eyes when it caught you looking at it.; 8/12/19, 2:31 PM
MadisonMan said...: Thank you for changing the blog post title -- I had the same reaction as Rob but I didn't write it down.; 8/12/19, 2:32 PM
Quayle said...: "Yeah, they were really active in Althouse's neighborhood when I was there some years ago. I saw them hunting actively on the edges of the playground behind Randall Elementary

Hmm...

I find that somewhat disturbing, and I am not talking about the hawk."

That's because you don't know that Inga is Ann's alter ego, and Chuck is Mead's.; 8/12/19, 2:41 PM
Chuck said...: Francisco D said...
"Yeah, they were really active in Althouse's neighborhood when I was there some years ago. I saw them hunting actively on the edges of the playground behind Randall Elementary"

Hmm...

I find that somewhat disturbing, and I am not talking about the hawk.

Mine was a straight, simple self-explanatory comment aimed directly at the substance of the main post.

Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.; 8/12/19, 2:41 PM
Professional lady said...: From a window in my dining area in my kitchen, I've seen a bald eagle fly overhead. Although I live in an urban area, I'm very close to a large body of water as well as an international border. We see hawks too - it's always a thrill.; 8/12/19, 2:45 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: hey quit falcon' around!!

"Come on down to the Althouse Café and I will
Buy you a Tonic n Tanqueray
And we'll laugh and toast to nothing and smash our empty glasses down"; 8/12/19, 2:48 PM
Michael K said...: We had am hawk appear on the wall in the back yard one day.

The quail and other birds did not appear again for hours.; 8/12/19, 2:51 PM
alanc709 said...: Never seen a hawk around where I live, although perhaps I didn't recognize any. Washington's state bird is the American goldfinch, don't think I've ever seen one of those, either. Used to see a lot of robins, but they seem to have disappeared. Mostly wrens and crows now, with some seagulls when the wind blows off the water.; 8/12/19, 2:57 PM
Charlie Eklund said...: There are several hawks in my neighborhood who seem to enjoy eating the neighborhood squirrels. Several weeks ago, I looked out the living room window to see a hawk on the ground in the backyard trying to get a squirrel who was successfully putting a large tree trunk between him and the hawk. Knowing it was only a matter of time before the squirrel became lunch, I walked out onto the patio and the hawk flew off. The squirrel looked at me, tail swishing madly, and I advised him to exit stage right in search of better cover. And off he went to be hawkfeed another day.; 8/12/19, 2:59 PM
Clark said...: We have red-tailed hawks nesting a little ways into the woods close by the screened-in porch that serves as my summer office. They sure make a racket.; 8/12/19, 3:00 PM
Quayle said...: A vicious, cold-hearted killer sitting over your head.

If only you were a bit smaller in size, you'd find that out more convincingly.; 8/12/19, 3:04 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: It looks like it's checking you out, to decide whether you're too big to take. Evidently it decided to pass, otherwise there would be a different title on this post.

I had a Cooper's Hawk land on the gargoyle on my deck railing earlier this year. I wasn't but 10 feet away indoors, but it couldn't see me because of the reflections in the sliding door. It was there long enough for me to get a good look so I could make the ID later.

The deck's a good place to wait for wrens or chipmunks.

Hawks are indeed magnificent creatures. I considered its visit a gift.; 8/12/19, 3:06 PM
Jaq said...: Is he sulking because Hillary lost?; 8/12/19, 3:08 PM
Beasts of England said...: Nice pic! I see Red Tail Hawks quite often around the lake. My favorite remains a Great Blue Heron that visits my backyard (at the edge of the water) at least once a day. They're very large birds and quite elegant in flight... It's fascinating to watch it carefully stalk along the bank and grab the occasional bass or crappie.; 8/12/19, 3:09 PM
Jaq said...: "Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.”

It’s called ‘humor.’ It’s something that human beings engage in from time to time. You might even be doing it yourself right now in some kind of Andy Kaufman way.; 8/12/19, 3:10 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: I've seen plenty of rodents for that hawk to eat.

perhaps it is ogling the Rodent du Soir on The Professor's desk
slated for tonight's Cafe; 8/12/19, 3:13 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Is your enthusiasm for the hawk diminished by your new suspicion that we are all part of a simulation? Or are you excited to see what the simulation has put before you today?; 8/12/19, 3:14 PM
stevew said...: We get lots of Red Tail hawks in my area. I saw a hawk take a cardinal out of a small decorative tree in the front yard last year. I'm not a birder but I know it wasn't a Red tail, not big enough or the correct feather colors. Looking at photos it was likely a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned.

There are eagles nesting along the Merrimack river near here, and we see Osprey at the Cape. All those birds, and the hawks, are simply wonderful to watch. The Red Tails circle above the trees in my back yard. I've never observed them catching anything, but I'm sure they do.; 8/12/19, 3:21 PM
Fernandinande said...: Letters: We have to treasure our elderly

They are not just considered old complainers in pain. Understanding elderly is the hardest. They are not all the same. My mom used to tell me not to make fun of them or you might end up the same way or worse.

It will be a blessing when they tell you Mother Earth is your first mother and she hasn’t given up on you.

Elderly that are honest will be afraid to tell you a lie, because they can’t lie in front of the Holy People. There is always a reason why they tell you things with reasons behind such as the Four Sacred Mountains can’t be moved or dug into. Because the Four Sacred Mountains are our home, they are our stability.

They used to love their land. Mom used to say, “I hope there will not be an alcoholic or druggie living here. Your dad and I went through a lot to prepare this land for you children if you deserve it.”

It’s hard to take care of good land and keep the trash out. The land goes with a prayer and a lot of early morning offerings with white corn pollen. We never like loud music, just keep it peaceful. We hope you children will respect our wishes and live here by the law. Do what you have to do to build a home legally so there won’t be any confusion. Always have your elderly’s and your neighbor’s approval. Don’t step over their grazing area.; 8/12/19, 3:28 PM
Roughcoat said...: Hawks are a sign of ... something. So are coyotes. And crows.

Mysteries of existence. Dig it.; 8/12/19, 3:31 PM
Original Mike said...: There's been a hawk, screeching incessantly, on our radio tower for the last week. It's gotten pretty annoying. I'm thinking a child booted out of the nest.; 8/12/19, 3:32 PM
gilbar said...: Rep. Eric Swalwell D-Calif; the 1st openly gay Presidential candidate to withdraw from the contest said this was “the first time” the committee was sending a “telegraph to the court that one of the remedies we have is impeachment.”

“This is an impeachment investigation, to investigate whether we should start investigating into whether we should start an impeachment investigation, on whether we should propose a resolution to introduce articles of impeachment to Congress,” he said.

That same day, however, Pelosi said, “We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed -- not one day sooner.”; 8/12/19, 3:41 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Beasts of England: I agree, Blue Herons are awesome and bizarre. Their flight is so slow. I always think, there goes a flying reptile, when I see one.

Maybe rhhardin knows the stall speed of an unladen Blue Heron.; 8/12/19, 3:53 PM
traditionalguy said...: Hawks are carnivores. keep small animals inside.; 8/12/19, 3:53 PM
Jersey Fled said...: Funny but I see all kinds of critters around here I dont remember seeing growing up. Deer and wild turkeys all over the place. Red tail hawks. I've even seen two bald eagles.

I thought man was ruining the environment and driving everything to extinction.

Guess I was wrong.; 8/12/19, 3:58 PM
Chuck said...: AAT said...
"Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.”

It’s called ‘humor.’ It’s something that human beings engage in from time to time. You might even be doing it yourself right now in some kind of Andy Kaufman way.

It wasn't even your comment. I'm not sure how you would be the one to explain it. Let's let the author explain the humor.; 8/12/19, 4:01 PM
Beasts of England said...: 'Maybe rhhardin knows the stall speed of an unladen Blue Heron.'

African or European?; 8/12/19, 4:01 PM
rcocean said...: "Funny but I see all kinds of critters around here I dont remember seeing growing up"

Me, its the wild turkeys. They are everywhere now. Never saw a damn one 20 years ago.; 8/12/19, 4:10 PM
bagoh20 said...: I have pigeons that like to nest in my eves, lots of them. A few weeks back a hawk flew though the yard and landed in one of my trees. The next day feathers everywhere, but not a single piece of flesh, no legs no heads, nothing, but clearly pigeons died. The pigeons were suddenly all gone. I previously tried everything to scare them off, including one of those solar powered owls that spins its head, and also constantly harassing them with rocks and whatever, but they would just come right back within minutes. The hawk with one short and violent display got rid of all of them, but only for about a week, and now they are back. I need a hawk suit.

Related: A "friend" brought me a baby Morning Dove about one day old that landed on the ground when the tree holding its nest fell over in a storm. Amazingly, it's still alive 2 weeks later and growing like a weed. I feed it 5-6 times a day, and it thinks we're family, which we I guess we are now. I'm a dad!; 8/12/19, 4:12 PM
rcocean said...: 6 months ago got out of the parking lot at dawn, ended for the office. Saw a crow, all alone pecking at some crap, then WHAM. Goodbye, Mr. Crow, Hello Mr. Hawk's Breakfast.

all in a flash. Unusual the crow was there alone. Usually crows are in groups. And they usually have a "Sentry" out. Safety in numbers.; 8/12/19, 4:13 PM
rcocean said...: Bags: I've found that killing every single goddamn one, works.; 8/12/19, 4:16 PM
buwaya said...: Signs and portents, probably.
One needs a professional for this sort of thing.
Sometimes one needs a true augur.; 8/12/19, 4:20 PM
Fernandinande said...: Here's more Native American Wisdom™ from the Navajo Times:

"TAKE ALL TICKS OFF PEOPLE AMD FLUSH THEM DOWN THE TOILET"; 8/12/19, 4:20 PM
Jaq said...: "There's been a hawk, screeching incessantly, on our radio tower for the last week. It's gotten pretty annoying.”

Sharp shinned hawk. They sound like parrots almost. I had a pair nesting in the tree in my front yard. Oy.; 8/12/19, 4:34 PM
The Vault Dweller said...: Goodbye feral cats in the area.; 8/12/19, 4:36 PM
Jaq said...: it seems like high summer has drawn to a close around here. There is a vast expanse of wild rice not far from here and I like to go there and watch the red-wing blackbirds feeding there this time of year. It’s not that they do anything interesting, it’s just a marker for the change of seasons as they fatten up for the trip south.; 8/12/19, 4:38 PM
Jaq said...: I have decided that the only boring thing I don’t have strong opinions on is model trains.; 8/12/19, 4:41 PM
PluralThumb said...: The delivery man called and kept screaming “BLUBLUB” into my phone over and over again. Finally realized he was saying grub hub.; 8/12/19, 4:51 PM
Francisco D said...: Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.

Let me rephrase:

If I were Althouse and Meade, I would find that disturbing.

Does Michigan have red flags laws?; 8/12/19, 4:55 PM
zipity said...: Looks to be either Coopers Hawk or a sharp-shinned hawk. They look very similar.

We had a pair of Cooper's nest in our neighborhood of north Fargo a few years back.

Deadly bird eaters. Watched one dismantle a robin in the elm tree on our boulevard.; 8/12/19, 5:00 PM
zipity said...: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=coopers+hawk&FORM=HDRSC2

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sharp+shin+hawks&FORM=HDRSC2; 8/12/19, 5:00 PM
buwaya said...: "I have decided that the only boring thing I don’t have strong opinions on is model trains."

Model train people have strong opinions on model trains.

The great brass vs nickel track controversy
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/203152.aspx

But sometimes others do too.

https://www.cbs58.com/news/exclusive-racist-train-model-sparks-change-in-policy-at-trainfest; 8/12/19, 5:01 PM
Sheridan said...: Hey, Quayle! That's funny, man! Suggesting that Ann and Meade are sockpuppeting their own blog! Like their commenters aren't interesting enough to create drama and humor without the intervention of the blog owners! And Chuck! You're a hoot! (Insert hawk joke here). Like Meade would nearly doxx himself and Ann while pretending to be you! We know from a prior Meade comment (long ago, I'm getting old) that Ann and Meade were numbers 1 and 2 respectively in their high school senior classes which means they were really smart (probably not the Kool Kids, their vibe is wrong). There's no way that Meade (#2) could even pretend to be you! Not a knock on you, you're a lawyer so I'm sure you're pretty smart. James Comey smart, no doubt. You're just not Meade smart. BTW we have raptors here in NW Montana all over! Hawks, eagles, owls, you name it! Few loose cats, though. I wonder why...; 8/12/19, 5:20 PM
JaimeRoberto said...: I live near a wind farm that used to be raptor macerator. All the old windmills were replaced by larger, slower, safer windmills, and within a few years our pigeon problems were solved. Now if they could do something about the turkeys.; 8/12/19, 5:32 PM
wildswan said...: Cole's Special Feeder, a bird feed mix, really draws the most beautiful birds - many-colored song birds, cardinals, wood peckers. "Fill up your feeder and stand back." It's true. But also one of the feeders draws hawks. They sit up on the porch overhang or a certain tree. Waiting. So far no tragedies because we've seen them and driven them off.; 8/12/19, 6:03 PM
Paco Wové said...: "Let's let the author explain the humor."

Can the rest of us content ourselves with telling you to fuck off, you humorless prig?; 8/12/19, 6:18 PM
Fernandinande said...: "Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.”
It’s called ‘humor.’

It's funny to imply someone is a pedophile because they happened see hawks near a playground? OK.

I happen think it's funny to imply that whoever first mentioned pedophilia in a conversation about something else is probably the most likely to be a pedophile, a la "Whoever smelt it dealt it." Ho ho.; 8/12/19, 6:27 PM
Gojuplyr831@gmail.com said...: We've got Kestrels around where I live. Also Peregrines. Also all the Wisc. hawks. Really interesting watching them interact. Large raptors don't like to share hunting space. Small ones tend to leave or hide when big ones who up.

While hawks may take feral cats sometimes, Great Horned Owls are truly deadly on them. Cats never seem to learn to look back and up. And not to stalk other animals or travel in a straight line for very long.; 8/12/19, 6:31 PM
Chuck said...: Blogger Francisco D said...
“Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.”

Let me rephrase:

If I were Althouse and Meade, I would find that disturbing.

Does Michigan have red flags laws?

So your comment wasn’t “humor” at all as was suggested. It was your own, strange, baseless, oblique insult aimed at me. For what? Why? To what end?; 8/12/19, 6:44 PM
Nichevo said...: Fernandistein said...
"Yours was a weird, accusatory comment. Explain it.”
It’s called ‘humor.’

It's funny to imply someone is a pedophile because they happened see hawks near a playground? OK.

I happen think it's funny to imply that whoever first mentioned pedophilia in a conversation about something else is probably the most likely to be a pedophile, a la "Whoever smelt it dealt it." Ho ho.
8/12/19, 6:27 PM

Don't be ridiculous. Chuck has almost never been suspected of pedophilia or child rape. Though I do remember some rumors about cabana boys...

No, this refers to Chuck's stalkerish affect regarding Ann Althouse. Chuck seems to regard Althouse as a hungry dog does a pork chop, or as John Hinckley, Jr. did Jodie Foster. The examples of disturbing behavior are numerous, such as the sidling references in his initial comment about her neighborhood which all seem to mean: I know where you live.

BTW, Ann, Chuck says he's a big man. A biiiiig man. So although Bruce and others feel otherwise, I would consider upgrading from your pocket 9mm. Crazies are legendary for soaking up stopping power. I would suggest a heavier caliber and hotter loads, Bruce et al would wish you to have a larger magazine so you have more chances at a bullseye in the central nervous system. But either way, you're going to have to deal with more weight. You'd be cute with that "white bread" chick's 1911 on your hip, but the manual of arms would be too hard for you, stick to a double action.

More to the point, Meade should take the decision to strap up, because a logical legal mind, valuing itself at $450/hr, would surely think to take out the protector/rival first.; 8/12/19, 7:00 PM
rcocean said...: "Cats never seem to learn to look back and up."

Cats aren't used to Bird attacks. They look upon them as prey and aren't prepared for the tables being turned.

Although they don't like being dive bombed by even small birds when they're too close to their nests.; 8/12/19, 7:07 PM
Chuck said...: Hahaha.

Every time I think that the Althouse commentariat has plumbed the depth of weirdly concocted dementia, somebody comes along and finds a new low.; 8/12/19, 8:17 PM
Narr said...: A neighbor spotted some hummingbirds, so we put out the feeder, but so far no birdies.

Plus, it feels like Europe is giving back the heat they borrowed from us last month. It's fucking brutal, heat index today 114.

Narr
Geese are about, and owls of course, but not many hawks or kites; 8/12/19, 8:37 PM
NCMoss said...: JR said, "Now if they could do something about the turkeys."
Amen to that!; 8/12/19, 8:45 PM
rhhardin said...: Clever birds shine laser pointers around cats.; 8/12/19, 8:52 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Beasts of England @4:01 PM:

AAEEEEeeeee!; 8/12/19, 9:02 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Narr @8:37 PM: It's late in the season, so if you did it recently, they may already have formed their habits.

The ruby-throated hummingbirds around here are very jealous of their spot at the feeder. They usually dive-bomb the one that's tanking up and take his place, but one time I saw a pair on opposite sides simultaneously drinking, then checking whether the other one was still there. This synchronized behavior persisted for a minute or so.

I used to think that my feeder was leaking, because it would look full all day and then suddenly be empty in the morning. Then my wife spotted a deer coming up on the deck in broad daylight. That weekend I arranged to put the feeder several feet higher.
The leakage problem was solved.; 8/12/19, 9:21 PM
Narr said...: Our (debatable--authorities differ) Surprise Lilies are late too. Hummers, when we get them, drink a lot, and as you say they're feistily territorial.

We have no space big enough for deer within a mile, but plenty of squirrel, raccoon, and possum in the neighborhood. There are a few peacocks on the grounds of a small business campus
(actually pretty park-like) just three blocks north, nearer where Elvis used to live.

Narr
Once in a while I spot a red fox!; 8/12/19, 9:34 PM
Francisco D said...: You are a sick man, Chuckles.

I feel bad for Meadehouse that you know where they live.; 8/12/19, 10:24 PM
Dude1394 said...: Narr, we find that as the flowers bloom, the hummers don’t come around as much, they prefer the good stuff man. When the flowers start to die off you’ll catch some. Make sure your nectar doesn’t spoil. Ours goes bad quickly in south Texas.; 8/12/19, 10:48 PM