Last week, I came across a delightful piece on urban birdwatching in NY Magazine – and was honored to find myself listed as one of the “young rakes” behind its rise to prominence. I thought its photo slideshow particularly fine, as it showcased some of my compatriots their urbwatching finery (and excluded, luckily, my ugly mug). Two of my dear/dapper friends:
Since arriving in Los Angeles, my binoculars have lain largely dormant. But this piece threw me into something of an urbwatching frenzy. And today, I was lucky enough to spot this fellow perched atop the Mt. Rainier Building:
That’s right: Passer domesticus monstrosa – known to many as the sparrow monster, though we should actually call it the giant house sparrow, as this species does little monstering. But it seems that lexicological niceties are of little interest to Angelinos, and in the following photographs, you can see dispiriting preparations for the bird’s slaughter: a catching net and a massive grave.
Note the grave’s ludicrous size. Could it be that the city council needs a hole large enough to bury not just the bird but their own shame?
Update: The bird killed them!