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<DIV>As you may all know, the town installed nets, about 20 or 30 feet tall by
about 75 or 100 feet wide, across either end of the Field of Dreams soccer
field, to prevent errant kicks from going in neighbors' yards or into the street
or onto the tracks. They've been up for about two weeks or so.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I drive past every morning on my way to work. This morning I saw what
looked like a bag or a hooded sweatshirt on the net with one corner shoved in
the netting. I almost passed by without a second thought, but
something felt bad. I turned around to investigate.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Turned out to be very wrong.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A huge, beautiful hawk was hanging in the net, about 10 feet up,
strangled to death. It had obviously struggled for its life, talons still
gripping the strings of the netting as it attempted to free itself.
But the netting is the same kind used to capture birds, so the struggle was
futile. There was still a string of blood-tinged spittle hanging out of
its mouth, it wasn't dead long. I wish I had decided to go to work earlier
that day. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I imagine it was chasing soon-to-be breakfast, perhaps a sparrow, that
easily made it through the netting. But traveling at such a high rate
of speed, our neighborhood hawk flew right into a net he may not have even known
was there and was too difficult to see in the early morning
light.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As I took pictures of the body, another hawk was circling in the air and
screaming, probably a mate or a parent. At lunchtime, I assisted the
person from Public Works sent to take the body down. Had to cut the
bird out, so the net's damaged. I take full responsibility for
that. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To town officials: I am sending photos to you under separate
cover. Please take the net down IMMEDIATELY, before another endangered or
protected species falls victim. I know the "taking" of this hawk was
unintentional, but it is nevertheless, a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act of 1918 (MBTA) (and all it's revisions). These nets have been
erected in a PERFECT suburban habitat for hawks and owls (open fields, lots of
prey opportunities, trees for nesting and a water source within two or
three wingbeats). The nets should remain DOWN until another alternative is
found. If we must, construct nets that can be raised when play
occurs, lowered when done, and secured in such a manner that terrestrial
wildlife cannot become trapped in the lowered netting. Under no
circumstances should the nets remain in the raised position when no one is
there. The town will have to figure out a way to force people using the
nets to lower them, or risk further violation of the MBTA. Or take them down
permanently. I will be informing the appropriate state and federal
officials of the death (including photos) and keep them apprised of the
town's remediations.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Adrianne Lefkowitz</DIV>
<DIV>Madison and 48th</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>