Eye for Drama

[akirlu]

A flash of movement on the sidewalk caught my eye as I crested the hillock by Kane. One of the ubiquitous gray squirrels swarming a zigzag accross the sidewalk, oversized crust of bread clamped in her jaws. Just now we seem overrun with squirrels; the autumn brings them out to hunt chestnuts and acorns in the duff. But this one had an entourage -- one of the big glaucous gulls that squeal from the rooftops and haunt the picnic tables of campus. The gull was giving chase: hopping and gliding just behind the squirrel and making determined stabs for the bread crust. Then a second gull glided in to menace from the other side, and the whole dodging, stabbing, glide-hopping trio proceeded off stage left where the squirrel made the peace and safety of a nearby spruce to enjoy her spoils while the gulls sat below, peering after. I've watched birds try to steal food from each other -- contests of will and bluff among and between gulls and crows, for instance -- but this was the first time I had seen them go after a mammal. Still, the real question coming out of this miniature Mutual of Omaha moment is, why am I the only one who stops to watch it?

Comments

[jerrykaufman.livejournal.com]

When we were at the zoo recently, we watched crows stealing meat from a tiger. The tiger was across the enclosure and not very concerned.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

A belated happy birthday, btw. Speaking of zoos reminds me, the best co-habitation choice I've seen in a while is the Point Defiance zoo's choice of keeping their asian river otters in with their siamangs. The two species, both of a playful temperament anyway, actually engage in play behavior with each other as well as among themselves. Very cool.

[jerrykaufman.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Point Defiance is spiff, alright. We went last year for the first time, and met both a kookaburra and a porcupine out for walkies with zoo workers. (Well, I guess the kook wasn't actually walking.)

[numbat.livejournal.com]

Interesting concept but I don't think I fancy being the keeper who has to keep that enclosure clean. If their oriental small-clawed otters are anything like the ones I know it will be a fiddly process because the otters will almost certainly be protective of their territory and they have an impressive set of teeth. As a keeper I know likes to say, 'it's the cute ones you have to be careful of'.