Fuglemannen på SeaTac

[LN-MOW]

The hawk glided across the road, settling into a slow downward spiral. Steve Osmek stopped the truck and took a sharp look. It was an adult red-tailed hawk.

"That's the one from yesterday," Osmek said.

He put on a pair of earmuffs, took out what looked like a gun with a cylindrical attachment on the top, and loaded it with shells designed to bang, scream, belch smoke and otherwise alarm a 2 1/2-pound raptor. But by the time he was ready to fire, the bird had soared away.

Harassing hawks is one small part of Osmek's job as the wildlife biologist at Sea-Tac Airport.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/406018_birdman12.html