Oaky, so they don't have teeth. But on the river today, I saw three birds flying fast: a cormorant in front, then something much smaller, and bringing up the rear, something middle-sized. The cormorant got the hell out of the way while the middle-sized one chased the smaller one. First I thought the smaller one had been raiding a nest and the other was chasing it off, but it turned out to be the other way around. As they neared the pier the middle-sized one climbed and swooped and I was able to find them in my binocs: the poor little one, I don't know, but the other was a pergrine falcon! The little one was a goner. The falcon swooped, killed -- I didn't see that because of the pier railing, and I don't mind -- and then kept swooping, eating, perching and digesting, over and over until he was done.

We've had Pale Male and Lola, our red-tail hawks, living on the Upper East Side for years now, and I'd heard there were pergrines and kestrels on the west side, but I'd never seen one, even perching. And never seen them hunt. I felt bad for the little bird -- I'm usually on the side of the prey. The more fool I. But that falcon sure was impressive.

I just wish they'd eat rats.