[Mpls] birds of prey and Lake of the Isles

[MNMollyS]

Folks,

This has to be a two-subject post since it's my second of the day! First, I saw a hawk closing in on a bird the other morning (I was pulling for the other bird to make his escape!) and then yesterday, I saw another hawk ( or maybe it was the same one!) flying with what looked like a small rodent in its claws. It was so notable because I don't EVER remember seeing hawks in the city!

Now, this brings up an interesting question: if hawks can carry away small rodents or rabbits, what about cats? Should people be bringing their cats inside until the migration is over? I don't have a cat, so this doesn't apply to me, but my cousin has a cat that occassionally goes outside...does anyone know about the eating habits of these birds? Does their diet include kitties?

Second, Scott's post about Lake of the Isles is interesting. I don't know much about the current plan to which he referred. I'll check out the Strib article, but does anybody else have insight into the project?

Molly Schultz