[CT Birds] Hawks and cars

[Jonathan Matthews]

Alright, this one may have been discussed (disgust) here when it
happened, which was before my time but here it goes.  I live in
Hamden, near Lake Whitney and we have a great road here that goes
through the middle of the lake, called Mather st.  Some of you
probably know the whole story with the mute swans who nest within 15'
of the road and what have you.  (by the way, they are nesting there
this year again I believe)

Anyway, season before last, an approx 20 year old man who lives in the
neighborhood was driving down mather street.  Traffic was stopped as
the local canada goose family was crossing the road.  There were about
20 goslings or more crossing.  Well, this young guy - according to
eyewitnesses - punched the gas and proceeded to run down the geese.
This was done AFTER he had already come to a full stop.

Many of them were killed outright, and several died later.  Only a few
geese survived this cruel and outrageous act.  This was done in front
of several witnesses, and despite the fact that the man claimed he did
not see the geese, there was enough evidence to charge him.  I'm not
sure if the charges stuck or not.

The end result was a road sign warning of ducks crossing the road.

One has to wonder at what goes on in the minds of people who are
capable of such actions.

Jon Matthews
Hamden


On Sat, Mar 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM, Greg Hanisek <ghanisek at rep-am.com> wrote:
> There are probably way too many of these stories. Here's mine:
>
> A couple of years ago I was driving across the causeway at Stratford Great
> Meadows near Sikorsky Airport when a couple of large but still downy-black
> Clapper Rail chicks started to cross. I stopped the car, expecting others
> behind me to stop while the birds got across. But one car whipped around me
> a killed one of the chicks.
>
> I was able to salvage it and get it to UConn for a study specimen
>
> Greg Hanisek
> Waterbury
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carrier Graphics" <carriergraphics at sbcglobal.net>
> To: <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 4:45 PM
> Subject: [CT Birds] Hawks and cars
>
>
> >
> >
>
> > Well Dave, I have another story to tell about a hawk and cars.
> >
> >    Last August, while driving down a very busy rd in Torrington and
> > getting stopped at a red light at this busy intersection, I spotted an Im
> > Sharp-shinned Hawk with a sparrow in it's tallons. It landed with the
> > sparrow right in the middle of the intersection, manteling it as they
> > always do after catching prey. I quickly saw the situation to come,
> > getting out of the car to try and save the hawk from danger when the light
> > would change. As I waved my hands while running towards the intersection
> > the light changed, and a shinny large SUV first in line just ran the hawk
> > over with no reguards for me or the life of this unfortinate bird.
> >
> > As the SUV passed me, I give the driver the  - - - - - -, as she passed
> > with a big unconcerning smile.  But the worst of it is...I bet more people
> > then not would have done the same thing, run the bird over - yes?
> >
> > Paul Carrier
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Message:
> > 7
> > Date:
> > Sat,
> > 8
> > Mar
> > 2008
> > 10:27:28
> > -0500
> > From:
> > "David
> > Provencher"
> > <davidprovencher at sbcglobal.net>
> > Subject:
> > [CT
> > Birds]
> > Accipter
> > hood
> > ornament?
> > To:
> > "CTBirds"
> > <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
> > Message-ID:
> > <000501c88130$ebdfb8a0$6402a8c0 at HOMEBUILT1>
> > Content-Type:
> > text/plain;
> > charset="us-ascii"
> >
> > Remember
> > that
> > time
> > when
> > you
> > were
> > driving
> > and
> > someone
> > walked
> > in
> > front
> > of
> > you
> > and
> > they
> > were
> > obviously
> > not
> > paying
> > attention
> > and
> > never
> > saw
> > you
> > coming?
> > Remember
> > how
> > you
> > were
> > glad
> > you
> > had
> > good
> > brakes?
> > Yesterday
> > I
> > was
> > on
> > my
> > way
> > to
> > pick
> > up
> > my
> > 10
> > year
> > old
> > daughter
> > at
> > school
> > when
> > a
> > Sharp-shinned
> > Hawk
> > flew
> > in
> > front
> > of
> > me.
> > I
> > really
> > mean
> > right
> > directly
> > in
> > front
> > of
> > me.
> > It
> > was
> > a
> > really
> > small
> > male
> > ponderously
> > carrying
> > what
> > was
> > probably
> > a
> > House
> > Sparrow.
> > It
> > came
> > from
> > the
> > side
> > and
> > was
> > so
> > close
> > I
> > had
> > to
> > slam
> > on
> > my
> > brakes
> > as
> > the
> > bird
> > turned
> > and
> > flew
> > directly
> > away
> > from
> > me
> > up
> > the
> > road.
> > I
> > came
> > so
> > close
> > the
> > hitting
> > the
> > hawk
> > that
> > I
> > think
> > my
> > hood
> > touched
> > the
> > dangling
> > House
> > Sparrow.
> > Phew!
> > Funny
> > how
> > I
> > wasn't
> > as
> > annoyed
> > at
> > the
> > bird
> > as
> > I
> > might
> > have
> > been
> > had
> > it
> > been
> > a
> > teen
> > on
> > a
> > cell
> > phone.
> >
> >
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA)
> > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
> > For subscription information visit
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> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
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>