across the wire

More odd wildlife in the southern suburbs of Winnipeg:

A hawk is fairly ordinary when placed in its usual context, but a hawk sitting on a tree branch 5 feet above the grass on a lawn full of Halloween decorations creates an interesting sight! I never realized how massive these birds are until I almost walked right into one.

I was walking to the convenience store in my neighbourhood when I looked up just as I was passing a low hanging branch with a massive hawk on it. The branch came right up to the street so I was very close to it and its scary talons, sharp beak, and icy gaze.

I hope it has moved in to hunt the dumb squirrels in our neighbourhood.

Upon noticing a fist-sized green orb moving up a tree, I stopped to get a look at what was happening in a tree at the University. It turns out a squirrel had found a granny smith apple with only one large bite taken from it and was trying to climb up a tree to store it away. I watched it place the apple between two branches for later as another squirrel had come to try and take it. There was a fight. A squirrel fell. It was all such an interesting sight until I realized that I was standing still on a very busy pathway looking up at the tree like a dork. Still glad I noticed it.

Driving home, a very overweight squirrel was leisurely hopping across the road. Slowing down to give it time to cross, it would seem that the squirrel recognized it was no longer in danger. It slowed to a walk then a stop where it faced my and my car, stood on its back legs and chattered at me what I could only imagine was a squirrel version of "fuck you" just before it slowly walked away.