Subject: Not for raptophobes
Date: Jun 29 14:37:03 1995
From: Mike Patrick - mike at violin1.radonc.washington.edu


I'll venture a recent urban raptor observation:

Site: North of the UW Athletic Fields, near the Montlake Fill.
Time: ~12:50
Date: Yesterday
I was talking with a non-birder, to whom I pointed out an immature Bald Eagle
carrying a good sized fish flying in a north-westerly direction. Of course, an
American Crow was busy harassing the kid. From the south of us, an adult Bald
Eagle came into view heading strait for the youngster (ahhh, I say to myself,
a great show for a non-birder to get initiated...). They meet, do about half
of a circle, and the youngster drops lunch (anyone at the Montlake Fill get
knocked out yesterday?). The adult turned around and headed straight back
where it came from; in the process of which it picked up it's own crow who
was just about dancing on its back.

One of the reasons I like to share this sort of thing was made clear to me by
the reaction of my friend. He was quite struck by what he saw (no, the fish
did not land on his head). He said that in three years of living in the Seattle
area he had not seen an eagle... I just love to see people's eyes light up
when they realize all the exciting stuff that's out there :-)

--
Michael Patrick
University of Washington Medical Center
Department of Radiation Oncology, RC-08
1959 NE Pacific St.
Seattle, WA. 98195
mike at radonc.washington.edu
(206) 548-4536