On Mon, 8 Jan 1996, M. Smith wrote:

[snip..snip]

> The timing of this is pretty good. Didn't we recently have a spurt of
> posts on the alleged eagle-eats-the-chihuahua story, with variants
> including hawks, owls, etc.? I remember reading about the Valdez, AK
> story in the Seattle Times. This definitely smells like urban legend,
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> -------------
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 17:59:19 -0800
> From: Noel Wamer <nwamer at FREENET.SCRI.FSU.EDU>
> To: Multiple recipients of list BIRDCHAT <BIRDCHAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
> Subject: Red-tails & Chihauhaus
>
> A piece in yesterday's Orlando Sentinel reports an apparent series of
> incidents involving Red-tailed Hawk(s) attacking chichuahuas in
> Pensacola, including one fatal attack where the owner returned home to
> find a hawk feeding on the remains of Cookie. The other two which were
> attacked, Katie and Bonnie, were treated and released from a local vet's
> office.
>
Mike--

This does look a bit suspect...what are the odds that some dingbat
redtail is going to try and take 2 other doggies apart before it
settles on the third one? Redtails are rarely that ambitious..
and *Cookie* would be a whole lot more than a crop for that bird..
looks like that tale got stretched a bit..


> We have a large influx of wintering Red-tails into the urban area of
> Tallahassee. I had always hoped that they might be interested in the
> cats roaming the neighborhood, but have only seen them taking Rock Doves
> at my feeders. !!! ^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is interesting...how 'dey do dat?

I did read an eyewitness account of a redtail that sat on a barn
roof (that was a pigeon loft) and every time the pigeons flew in
and landed in the yard..it lifted off the peak if was sitting on
long enough to scatter the flock in distress..it kept this up
repititiously until the flock was so exhausted from continual
bursting(s) into flight, the R/T was able to pick off one of the
tired old rock doves at leisure and have it for din-din..
This is not, however,a legend..


But then again, never seen a chichuahua in the hood.
>
probably would need it in a hood to get it up on the fist ;-)


Tom