Hawk Soars in Swampscott Market

The raptor flew into Whole Foods Market on Saturday afternoon, circled on high before perching on a store rafter.

  Look up. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... supermarket hawk. A hawk swooped into Whole Foods Market on Saturday afternoon about 2 p.m., winging through the open front doors. Shoppers pointed above as the raptor, believed to be a Cooper's hawk, circled the store, said Whole Foods manager Eric Piper. Cooper's are medium-sized hawks, the males typically weighing about 12 oz. and females 20 oz. in the Eastern Region. They range from 14- to 20-inches long with a wingspan from 2-3 feet and have long tails, red eyes and small bills, according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The Whole Foods ceiling, at its highest point, is about 50 feet from the floor, the manger said. Eventually, the hawk lighted on a perch among the rafters out of …

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Man vs. Nature Conflict Stirs on Grown Ups 2 Set

A gang of skunks had movie set workers fearing the worst the night before a big shoot. Much earlier, the arrival of the sound stage to the Phillips Park landscape hurled a family of mallards into disarray.

  The cast and crew of Grown Ups 2 are eating well on the set in Swampscott. Late at night local skunks have been looking to eat well, too, said Swampscott Animal Control Officer Diane Treadwell. She even saw one walking away with a napkin during a search for a late night snack earlier this week.  The central conflict in the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2 appears to be the man vs man variety, with fraternity brothers and others butting heads. Meanwhile, back at Grown Ups 2 central, the sound stage at Phillips Park, another type of conflict has brewed — man vs. animal. The latest chapter in the age-old conflict stirred Sunday night when movie set workers frantically called for Swampscott's animal control officer after a skunk sighting …

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Wet, Dry and Things That Fly

Tarantula Found At Swampscott Cemetery

The arachnid is available to a good home.

  How it got there is a mystery but the tarantula got there — the Swampscott Cemetery. Swampscott Animal Control Officer Diane Treadwell got a call from police around 9:30 am Monday saying they had a tarantula at the station — and would she come take care of it. A Department of Public Works crew had found the hairy-legged bugger at the cemetery and put it in a container and dropped it off at the police station. The animal control officer hauled away the eight-legged arachnid in a glass container with a very secure plastic wrap on the top, holes punched for air but not large enough for escape. Its discovery in a cemetery added a bit of creepiness to the rescue, Treadwell said. This was the first time she had rescued a tarantula and it ranks…

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Wet, Dry and Things That Fly

A Bird In The Hand

Animal control officers rescue wildlife big and small. Here's a little guy that will soon take flight.

  The baby sparrow beat its wings in the Swampscott animal control officer's cupped palms Friday. The fledgling was about 16 days old and will soon be released into the wild. For a few days it will get the hotel treatment, being cared for at the Marblehead animal shelter. About this time of year animal control typically gets a lot of calls about baby birds found on the ground. Last week they responded to calls about grounded baby sparrows, a grackle, a blue jay and barn swallows. They feed them meal worms and other special foods and then give them a soft release. A cage is kept near the release in case the bird needs shelter. Diane released a baby sparrow last week that she had raised since its eyes were shut. Days later she called the …

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