Photos courtesy of photographer Max Kelly
Presenting The Hawk Of Carroll Park complete with freshly killed squirrel!
There had been sightings of a giant hawk in Carroll Park for a few weeks now, but every time I received a call from Kathleen, the wonderful recreations person, telling me to hurry over because it had just been sighted, it was gone before I could get my camera and run over. Not this morning. Kathleen called excitedly to tell me that not only was he sitting in a tree right next to the park house, he had just caught a squirrel and had suffocated it. I was out of the house in a flash. Thankfully my son was still at home since he has a much better camera. So here is the hawk, dear reader, complete with freshly killed squirrel! And just as a warning...it is cold out there, so dress warmly.
PS: Kathleen, I believe you now. Thanks for calling me.
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8 comments:
My friend Irv and I saw the hawk in the air hunting on Sunday morning. We heard it's destictive call first and looked up and there it was on Carrol between Smith and Hoyt, hovering. At first, by the call, I thought it was one of the South American parrots that are living in the gates of Greenwood cemetery. They venture out in the surronding area but I have not seen them more than a few block from there yet. Are you aware of them?
Vince
Looks like our Brooklyn Red-tailed Hawks heard about all the fine dining in Carroll Gardens. :) FYI-Hawks don't actually suffocate their prey...that's where those very long, sharp talons come in handy.
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the info. We suspected that it was a red-tailed hawk.
The squirrel was already caught (and I hope) dead before I arrived. The park workers thought that it had been suffocated, but of course, now that I think of it, the poor thing was probably "punctured"to death.
Gruesome but seeing this huge bird in the park was way cool.
Vince,
I heard someone in the neighborhood near Hoyt complain about green parrots sitting on his cornice and destroying sections of it with their beaks, but have not been able to confirm.
Katia
I live on Carroll between Clinton and Henry and have seen it on my roof garden twice over the summer. Tried to get a picture of it but IT didn't stick around long enough!
I came across the hawk sitting in the middle of Van Brundt St by Fairway with a still flapping pigeon in its talons. i got to within 8 feet before it finally managed to drag its dinner up into one of the trees. An amazing and unexpected delight that made my day.
I love the edgy quality of the birdwatching here in Brooklyn! I never wouldv'e thought it would be so much fun.
I have to add my 2c- yes, I too have seen the hovering falcon/hawk above CP. GREAT PHOTOS, Max and Katia!
Do you remember drama of the hawk getting lunch at the corner of First and Court,maybe the summer before last? It made the papers.
Yesterday I witnessed small flock of 5 nosiy green parrots zooming up PPSW. The legend lives on!
BKLYN MOM
I freaked out last night when I went to my parked car on 2nd Place and found an absolutely eviscerated bird laying on the hood, still bleeding. I'm assuming it was another victim of Mr. Hawk.
Hi ktelny,
It probably was. But I wonder why he dropped his prey and just left it there. I have found quite a lot of feathers from killed pigeons around the park.
They always fly away in big groups when they sense that it is near.
Ah, wildlife in Brooklyn
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