Early this morning, en route for work, I entered the park from the 16th street/ Terrace Place entrance. About 50 feet in, at the pedestrian road junction with the drive, I noticed some whitewash splatter - three separate round "splats". Thinking maybe a late in the day ( for a nocturnal creature) owl, I looked up. There was a shape but it wasn't an owl; just 15 feet up, an adult COOPER'S HAWK bristled at my spotting him. It ruffled its feathers , then jumped up to another higher branch. My guess was the three "splats" belonged to him, a reminder it left "behind".
Well, at least it didn't have a red nose, lest it would have made the daily news.
--Kingsboider
