NationStates Jolt Archive


Hawks 7--Old People 0

The Nazz
03-05-2006, 04:20
Funny story from my local paper today (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0502hawkattack,0,5124839.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines)
DELRAY BEACH -- People living in a South Florida senior condominium are dealing with some new neighbors that are becoming a nuisance.

A family of hawks moved into a tree about three weeks ago and now people walking to the pool or clubhouse have become moving targets.



LocalLinks
"I've never seen anything like this," said resident Phil D'Angelo. "I'm scared to come out here."

Hawks have nested in a pine tree on the property. The birds are territorial and protective over a young chick in the nest.

"You see them swooping down and it's really not funny," Ann D'Angelo said.

To keep people who pass by safe, the condo community put up yellow caution tape near the tree but residents said everybody in the community should keep an eye out for the protective parents.

"You don't know where they're going to come from," resident Janet Kerbel said.

The birds have attacked at least seven people so far, including Jim Merrick, who received several cuts to his head.

"All of a sudden something hit me in the head and I looked up and saw the hawk flying off," Merrick said. "I turned around to go back to the clubhouse and it hit me again."

The birds have attracted a crowd of onlookers.

"To me I think it's pretty neat because we forced them out of their natural habitat. They have nowhere else to go," said Fred Carracher.
I have to agree with Mr. Carracher on this one, no offense to the retirees in Delray.
Cannot think of a name
03-05-2006, 04:32
I rember the guitarists in the jazz bands first day at my high school. We were walking around the campus and out of nowhere a blackbird dived on his head and took a claw full of his long bushy hair. Freaked his shit out for days.

I imagine the retirees could just carry umbrellas. That'd make an interesting scene, old people in sunny Florida with umbrellas up to protect from hawk attacks.
Undelia
03-05-2006, 04:40
What makes it any more their natural habitat than humanity's? If they're a nuisance, I say shoot 'em.
Teh_pantless_hero
03-05-2006, 04:54
What makes it any more their natural habitat than humanity's? If they're a nuisance, I say shoot 'em.
Yeah, those old people are really taking up alot of perfectly good space.
The Nazz
03-05-2006, 06:51
What makes it any more their natural habitat than humanity's? If they're a nuisance, I say shoot 'em.
The authorities tend to frown on the shooting of old people or other protected species.