Wild Kingdom in the South Philly skies

[lblanchard]

As I was bringing in my bike from my morning of docent training (first the Flower Show, then the Union League), my eye was caught by a flock of pigeons apparently flying in circles in an agitated manner just north of the schoolyard. So I went back to the door to see what was up.

I watched a raptor -- one that shows a bit reddish on the underside -- run a flock of pigeons ragged. He didn't exactly chase them -- he was soaring with apparent ease while they flapped frantically -- but he kept them on the move for about 15 minutes. They finally got far enough ahead of him to land in a weed tree (my guess is about three blocks north of me) but he sure wore them out.

Pretty amazing... I wish I knew my raptors so I could tell you what it was. Maybe a peregrine? And maybe this explains why I haven't seen any pigeons in the backyard?

EDIT: I posted this locally as well, and a neighbor suggests a red-shouldered hawk, a species apparently in abundance here in metropolitan Philadelphia. Another neighbor volunteered that he recently sat on a bench in Rittenhouse Square, about eight blocks north of here, and was showered with pigeon feathers as a hawk sitting in a tree above him messily devoured his breakfast.

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

We hsve lots of raptors, but I suck at identifying them.

What's the flower show theme?

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Bella Italia. Heaps of stuff on the show in the Flower Show press room:

http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/aboutus/pressreleases.htm

[clindau.livejournal.com]

The Flower Show......le sigh......

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I posted my raptor story on a local board and one of the neighborhood denizens says Philadelphia is abundantly supplied with red-shouldered hawks -- a species that fits the bill nicely. I will go back and edit my post.