Last week I was watching some top-notch tennis on TV as Coco Gauff battled to stay in at Wimbledon. I was amused when a small bird, what seems to be a Wagtail (Motacilla alba), flew out onto the court and perched calmly on the net! Not being a huge tennis fan, I was surprised and amused to learn that this is a common occurrence – birds regularly interrupt tennis matches at Wimbledon! What would drive this little bird down into a stadium full of people? Food? Perceived safety?
I was even more amused when I learned that Wimbledon employs a Harris Hawk named Rufus to police the court and keep the birds away from the tennis matches! Urban birds being policed by captive hawks!
Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, let Lindsay know or Tweet at us and you could be featured as a future observation of the week!
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