The other morning I went outside (I live in the city…Gasp!) to get something out of my car and happened to look up and saw this guy sitting on the light pole having a feast on a feathered friend. The prey doesn’t show up well in this picture but the feathers littering the ground below certainly did.
Photo by Tom Remington
I grew up in the woods of rural Maine. I probably have seen far more wildlife than most and far less than many others. About 10 years ago, my wife and I made a change of scenery for various reasons and now live in Florida, smack dab in the middle of the most densely populated county in Florida surrounded by a population approaching 1 million. In the winter that population nearly doubles.
From my dooryard, I regularly see far more wildlife than I ever saw while living in Maine. I guess it’s the evil encroachment of man that has forced this hawk to live nearby (as I see him on a regular basis) and remain well fed. When the local rabbit population rises in our neighborhood, I see more and more hawks and eagles. I also hear the coyotes yelling at night (yes, that’s right. Coyotes!) Then the rabbits seem to disappear for awhile but they return and so do the predators.
Tom Remington
