Well, energy makes the world go ’round.
The transmutation of duckling into hawk… this mature Red-tailed Hawk made two passes over the edge of the Sylvan Water recently, to the accompaniment of loud duck squawking. The second pass was successful.
This was the other Red-tailed that showed up soon afterwards. No duckling on the menu for this one, at least while I was around. On Tuesday, I’d counted fourteen ducklings on Sylvan with a female Mallard. There were none after this incident on Thursday. On Wednesday, Green-Wood staff and an animal rescuer got a bunch of ducklings out of a storm drain and released them in Dell Water.
Here’s one of them. It’s tough out there for ducklings.
Backyard and Beyond 
A fellow has to eat. Poor little Ducky.
It comes as a big surprise to many new birdets that nature is not a cartoon replete with friendly, dancing carnivores celebrating friendship with species really on their menu. A friend once told me he totally believed and understood the biblical reference to the lion lying down with the lamb. All that is required is frequent replacement of the lamb.