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Reverence for Raptors SFGata.~«„ Reverence for Raptors by Hank Pellissier, special to SF Gate Monday, May 26, 2003 ~~ Page 1 of 4 Buzz Hull is rapturous about raptors -- the large, soaring, screeching, carnivorous birds of prey that are armed with sharp beaks, piercing talons, amazing vision and stunning speed. I met Buzz at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory office in the Marin Headlands, where he's employed as the research director. Behind us loomed Hawk Hill -- the famed spot for viewing raptor migration. "Raptors." Even their name sounds scary. Were you awed by them as a child? When I was twelve years old, I read a book by T. H. White called "The Goshawk," about a large bird of the northern forests that is used in falconry. The way he described the Goshawk's fierceness and intensity ... fascinated me. Did goshawks become your favorite raptors? No, no. I find all raptors extremely fascinating -- my favorite raptor is whichever one I am working on at the time. All raptors have a powerful wild presence -- to be near any of them is a very deep spiritual, psychological, religious experience. Humans have totally surrounded themselves with concrete, glass, our own artifacts. We've lost something in doing this. When we're around raptors, who live in a wild, different world, we get that lost something back -- we reconnect to something deep, we get a renewal. Hmm, my favorite raptor. In terms of beauty, there's the California red- shouldered hawk. It's a very attractive, bright-colored bird. Right now, I'm working with Cooper's hawks. They are year-round Bay Area residents -- we've located eleven active nests in Berkeley and El Cerrito. Cooper's hawks are great bird hunters with tremendous flying skills. They can instantly change their direction. They eat anything from a robin to a chickadee. Raptors have incredible eyesight, right? Yes. The sight receptors in the back of their eyes are far more densely packed than ours; their eyesight is io times keener. To understand how well they can see, just look through 8X or ioX binoculars. With this eyesight, the raptors are very aware of their environment. They're totally focused. Hawks and eagles are raptors, but what about vultures? http://www.sfgate.com/c>;i-bin/article.cei?file=/~/a/2(l~~/~5/~F/,~rha„a,,;,,,at nTr ~r.,,,p-„ ~~i~i~nn~