Birds at Large: BBC's Life of Mammals

I am not a religious man but I do have sacred texts. Like the Christian Bible, my texts are comprised of chapters and help explain the origins of life. Unlike the Bible, though, my texts are produced by the BBC and are only available on DVD. They're the series of nature documentarties produced by the God-like David Attanborough: Blue Planet, Life of Birds, Life of Mammals, Life in Cold Blood and Life in the Undergrowth (there are others, too, but those are the ones sacred to me).

In all seriousness, I cannot understate how wonderful these documentaries are. They have absolutely shaped how I view the world. Frankly, it's another post for another time.

I am posting here because I believe there comes a time in every young person's life where be begins to question his beliefs. Perhaps the world he or she is experiencing simply isn't meshing with what is he reading in his or her particular religious text. Questions creep in, faith is tested.

I am not questioning the accuracy of these BBC documentaries, but something is undoubtedbly lost when you hear the ol' "Red-tailed Hawk Noise Used for an Eagle" trope. See the Vine below, for the exact moment.

Red-Tailed Hawk Attacks Girl at Fenway Park

The media up here in New England is all atwitter about a red-tailed hawk nesting at Boston's Fenway Park that attacked a young girl named Alexa Rodriguez (which is close to Red Sox arch enemy Alex Rodriguez which, according to newspapermen = HILARITY). The girl was scratched but unhurt.

While I am sad that the inevitable friendship between the hawk and Manny Ramirez did not have a chance to develop, I'm glad that the nest and the egg were removed from the stadium. It wouldn't have ended well.

Jerk Golfer in the News

John Henry "Tripp" Isenhour, a PGA tour golfer, killed a Red-Tailed Hawk by drilling it with a golfball.  

Whatever, dude. I'm not gonna flip out. This isn't one of those animal blogs that is gonna vilify this gent for killing a bird. I swat flies and trap mice. Killing a Red-Tail is a terrible thing to do, but I'm sure "Tripp" is genuine in his remorse...plus it's on the ESPN ticker so everyone who isn't directly related to this guy will forever only know Tripp Isenhour as "that guy who killed that bird."

Whatever, buddy, don't mess with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Also, a word of advice from a legal standpoint: Whether you intended to kill it or not doesn't matter. You intended to hit the balls, which any reasonable person could foresee killing the bird if hit. The only way you can argue that the killing was unintentional is if you didn't see the bird or if you somehow accidentally hit the ball without knowing it. You monster.