Blakeman astounded

photo by Lincoln Karim
August 17, 2006

Received this noter from John Blakeman this morning. Even deep in the Cape Cod woods I could feel his amazement. Made me feel how lucky we are, we Central Parkers -- at least in some sense. [If only we also had true darkness, for stargazing-- true quiet, for insect listening, and a few other things...]

Marie,

I was just astounded by Lincoln's photo today of Pale Male siting calmly up on a light pole arm, with any number of people walking directly beneath. This never, ever happens out in rural or wild areas. Our sitting red-tails won't let a human get within 200 yards before flying off. This New York hawk is completely oblivious to the many humans below, as though there were crazing cattle or sheep.

This situation is exceptional, to the extreme. I can now understand how CP photographers can so easily find the hawks' night roosts. We can never find these out here in rural areas.

--John Blakeman