Traveling north on MLK Blvd. in Cleveland this morning, I observed a cool hunting strategy by a Red-
tailed Hawk. I looked out the left window of my car when motion caught my eye; a red-tail about 
door-handle height passing me, about 25 feet away, just beyond the traffic headded in the opposite 
direction. I was moving about 30 mph at the time and it was keeping pace! I slowed as it began to 
put its landing gear down and I saw a large flock of American Robins directly in its line of fire. There 
were also a half dozen squirrels feeding in this same spot. Just as the red-tail was about to grab a 
robin, the flock exploded in all directions. The big bird banked to the right and whacked a squirrel 
that was sitting on its haunches watching the whole thing like it was some sporting event. Off the 
red-tail flew with a wiggly squirrel in its talons. I thought about the whole manuever and suspect the 
squirrel was the first target all along. 

Clyde Witt
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