It is easy to spot a tourist in New York, amongst other possible give a ways, they are the ones taking pictures of the squirrels. New Yorkers weigh in differently on the creatures’ appeal, but I see few, if any, stopping to take the furry creatures’ photographs.

However, this is not to suggest that New Yorker’s are indifferent to wildlife. The other day, perched atop the head of a statue in the western part of Central Park, was a young red-tailed hawk. Keeping a respectful distance from this exquisite avian was a slew of local enthusiasts. They were chatting amiably amongst themselves, standing by their tripods and cameras equipped with enormous zoom lens.

“May I take a look through your camera?” I asked one of the gentleman. He somewhat hesitantly said yes.  I approached the camera resting on a sturdy tripod and through the powerful lens I could see almost every feather on the hawk’s head. The hawk looked directly at me. “He’s looking right at me!” I excitedly said. The man clicked the cord connected to the camera and took multiple shots.

“You see this crowd? We all know each other. We know his favorite spots and meet up .” The man explained.

I still find squirrels cute and charming, but it was the sight of the red-tailed hawk that I continued to think of throughout the day.