Since November, Bruce Lee the red-tailed hawk has scared off — or eaten — birds in the skies above AT&T Park.
There’s a new Top Gun in charge of the airspace above AT&T Park. Like many high-strung fly boys, “Bruce Lee” the red-tailed hawk has a knack for violence.
A mean streak is exactly what the Giants needed to run off the virtual umbrella of pigeons and seagulls that herald the late-stage wasting of most Giants home games.
Around the time of the game Bruce Bochy is reaching for closer Brian Wilson, birds in search of their next meal typically swarm over the stands. Too often, they begin their assault by, shall we say, making a little room.
The last thing the Giants want is well-heeled fans in Premium Field Club seats going home covered in bird poop. The team had considered predatory efforts last season with a falconer, but cost proved excessive.
Then somehow, nature provided a hit man with a taste for blood.
Since November, Bruce Lee has enjoyed a perch along the third-base side of the park. Giants Operations Direction Jorge Costa told the Bay Citizen the team built a perch for him in a light tower, hoping to encourage a permanent roost.
So far, Bruce seems to come and go every couple of days. When he is in the park, Bruce has been seen unleashing lethal airborne attacks on other birds. A photograph from the Giants shows him devouring the carcass of some poor conquered avian.
The prospect of seeing a hawk take out a pigeon in mid-air at a Giants game sounds like just about the best late-game entertainment the team could dream up other than a Brian Wilson save.
Here’s hoping Bruce Lee sticks around in the big leagues for a full season. With a couple of big flies, an ESPN highlight or two, and no embarrassing errors, the Giants may have a another Rookie of the Year on their hands.
Jesse Garnier is the editor and founder of SFBay. A Mission District native, he also teaches journalism as associate professor at San Francisco State University.
A hawk with a taste for blood rules the skies over AT&T Park @SFGiants #SFGiants #MLB #AlfredHitchcock http://t.co/iz0nJ7MM