Per Jeremy Schwartz of Seattle:
In This Corner — the Seahawk:
“Let’s get some basic stuff out of the way first. What exactly is a seahawk? Well, the birding world doesn’t officially recognize a bird called a “seahawk” (just as there’s technically no “sea gull,” but that’s a different article). Jess Greenspan, writing for the Audubon Society, explains that the term“seahawk” is most commonly associated with an osprey.
“Ospreys are a common type of hawk that feeds exclusively on fish. They can range all over North America, but are most common in coastal areas or where there are abundant shallow bodies of water.According to AllABoutBirds.org, ospreys are particularly known for their ability to dive straight into bodies of water to catch their favorite meal. Ospreys average 2 feet in length, have a wing span of 5–6 feet and weigh between 3 and 4 pounds.
“In Seattle, the brown-and-white osprey is most often seen patrolling Lake Washington, wings slightly kinked as it soars over the water. Their hooked beaks and bright yellow talons are well suited to capturing and devouring fish. They also have big, bright yellow eyes, perfect for zeroing in on unsuspecting fish (and staring into your soul).
“But enough of this boring sciencey stuff. What’s an osprey like when it fights? Like most birds of prey, ospreys will lead with their fish-destroying talons in fights against other birds. An osprey’s foot is unique among raptors in that it allows grasping with two toes in front and two behind (as compared to three in front and one behind). This ability allows them to carry fish lengthwise when flying, to cut down on wind resistance. John Eastman, writing in the (awkwardly long-named) Birds of Lake, Pond, and Marsh: Water and Wetland Birds of Eastern North America, describes this setup as a “net of talons.” That would also make a pretty good heavy metal band name.
“Ospreys will aggressively defend their nesting sites from other birds, even bald eagles in some instances.”
Hence the home-field advantage the Seahawks have traditionally held over our Eagles…
In this corner—the bald Eagle…
Eagles often steal food from other birds of prey like ospreys.
Chasing a seahawk (osprey) is usually enough to persuade it to drop its kill, but occasionally a bald eagle will attack. Bald eagles do not have to eat every day, but if the bird goes too long without food, it may not be able to hunt effectively enough to survive.
Okay, I’ve got the clue to tonight’s game—the Eagles must chase the Seahawks out of the comfort zone of their nest and persuade them to drop their kill. Find a way on OFFENSE, attack with DEFENSE! DEFENSE! TURNOVERS!!!
Steal this game! Let’s eat!
Live Game Thread:
Ryan Lubrich’s Discord.com live-talk forum will be up and running for this one on game night.
Here’s a link to his interesting new talk machine if you wish to give it a look:
As Ryan explains, it’s like a chat channel, primarily used by like-gamers who stream on Twitch, but he figured we might be able to use it for gameday chats. I have found it to be very functional and very entertaining. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of some of the whistles and bells, but after a short while I was zooming along with the other EYE guys and Bored members there talking Eagles football.
It even auto-refreshes on every comment!
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