Subject: A gull eats pigeon story
Date: May 2 19:46:03 1995
From: fredbird - fredbird



I was a bit late to work today and missed an interesting melodrama.
The Snohomish County Council offices are on the top floor of the
county administration building in Everett. The altitude and abundant
windows offer spectacular, panoramic views of mountains, valleys,
waters, occasional eye-level eagles and peregrines dining off
roof-top pigeons. The offices are set back from the roof edge
affording a wrap-around deck or porch of sorts. This morning Council
Clerk Barbara Sikorski was startled when a pigeon-rock-dove smashed
into the window three feet from where she sat. The pigeon itself sat
stunned. Within seconds, says Barbara, a large gull (presumably a
Gloucus-wingedXWestern . . . what else is there?) dropped out the
sky and proceeded to assault the semi-conscious pigeon . . . mostly
pecking at its rear end (a technical term). This rude behavior
prompted Chief Clerk Kathy Bratcher (who takes legislative decorum
seriously) to run out of the office, around a corner and out a door
to the roof deck in hopes of rescuing the pigeon. Regrettably, from
the pigeons perspective, she failed. The gull grabbed the pigeon by
its armpit (another technical term) and ran with it 30 feet to the
roof edge and took off.
So, we wonder, is such relatively-live prey-taking unusual in local
gulls, or is this just another manifestation of current
anti-government disorders?
Fred Bird

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Fred Bird fredbird at Halcyon.com
Nancy Ashley nancyashley at Halcyon.com
1249 NE 92nd St. 206-526-5671 - v
Seattle 98115 206-5226557 - fax