durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday,February 10,2022 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a whollyowned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@durhamregion.com facebook.com/newsdurham @newsdurham WHO WE ARE Vice President Dana Robbins Regional General Manager Anne Beswick Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Managing Editor Mike Lacey Director of Advertising Tanya Pacheco Director Distribution Jason Christie Director Creative Services Katherine Porcheron Durham Advisory Council Dan Carter; Esther Enyolu; Jake Farr; Dr. Vidal Chavannes; Cynthia Davis; Elaine Popp/Don Lovisa; John Henry; Sue McGovern; Kerri King; Steve Yamada; Kelly LaRocca; Peter Bethlenfalvy; Dr. Steven Murphy; Norah Marsh; Tracy Paterson; Chris Darling; Christina Curry CONTACT US This Week Phone: 905- 579-4407 Newsroom: 905-215-0462 Sales: 905-215-0424 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-579-2238 Web: www.durhamregion.com Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at durhamregion.com Delivery For all delivery inquiries, call 905- 579-4407 or visit the Contact Us page on durhamregion.com. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT DURHAMREGION.COM Speed and stealth are their tricks of the trade -- that and amazing eyesight. Falcons and hawks that prey on other birds are an integral part of the food chain, keeping smaller birds on alert and weeding out the slow, weak and unlucky. Human carnivores can't argue with that. So while it happens rarely, it's not unexpected to hear a sudden great flapping of wings outside our house as panicked mourning doves fly off from under the feeder, and chickadees, goldfinches and cardinals dive into the shrubbery, sparrows into the brush pile. A few birds left usually freeze in place, motionless for long minutes, hoping to go unnoticed until danger has passed and they can get back to munching sunflower seeds and suet. And life goes on. Most often it's a sharp-shinned or a Cooper's hawk that comes zipping over the shed and startles birds at our feeder, the former about the size of a blue jay and the latter more that of a crow. Both are accipiters, slim woodland raptors built for flying among trees, with short rounded wings and long, rudder-like tails. And it was one of them I thought I might see when I stepped to the window the other day, hearing that familiar kerfuffle. Only to find a huge brown bird landing on a cedar post right beside the window, two metres away. In the six seconds it perched there I stared in wonder, brain scrambling, trying to identify this massive stranger, as large as a red-tailed hawk, twice as big as a Cooper's. Only when it turned, fanned its narrow, blackbanded tail and disappeared back across the yard did the answer hit me: northern goshawk. The largest, rarest accipiter of all. Pulse pumping, I quickly reviewed the mental images I'd captured in that split-second encounter, and knew it must be a juvenile, last year's young out exploring for a territory of its own. A likelihood strengthened when I heard that a friend in Newcastle had witnessed a young goshawk flash through his yard, lift over the house and zoom down the street, another brief but dramatic sighting. By chance, I just happened to be reading 'H is for Hawk' by award-winning British author Helen Macdonald, who wrote: "In real life, goshawks resemble sparrow hawks (common Eurasian accipiters) the way leopards resemble house cats. Bigger, yes. But bulkier, bloodier, deadlier, scarier and much, much harder to see. Birds of deep woodland, not gardens, they're the birdwatchers' dark grail." And I had one come visiting. For a heads' up on joining the 25th-annual Great Backyard Bird Count from Feb. 18 to 21, visit www.birdcount.org. Metroland columnist Margaret Carney finds so much to discover and marvel at when exploring the great outdoors. COLUMNIST HEARS 'KERFUFFLE', SPOTS SELDOM-SEEN RAPTOR MARGARET CARNEY Column A Cooper's hawk mantling, or shielding prey it has caught from onlookers whiles it eats. Much harder to spot are northern goshawks, which columnist Margaret Carney writes about this week. Accustomed to other raptors visiting her bird feeder, she was amazed to spot a goshawk. Northern goshawks eat a wide variety of things, from other birds to squirrels, and are found in most of the warmer parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Mike McEvoy photo COOPER'S HAWK MANTLING COUNCILLOR 'BEHAVED LIKE A BULLY' To the editor: I just learned that the Town of Whitby now has its very own Trump-like local politician. Councillor Chris Leahy directed a body-shaming comment at a female councillor at a special council meeting. Leahy then publicly apologized for what he said but stated that to be officially reprimanded would be too harsh a punishment for breaking the rules. Council's very own integrity commissioner recommended that Leahy be reprimanded by council. However, our mayor disagreed and spent way more time praising Leahy and making excuses for him. And to make matters worse, four other councillors agreed with Mayor Mitchell. Leahy behaved like a bully. By his words, Leahy disappointed, embarrassed, and disrespected himself and his victim, members of council and the people of Whitby. How could the majority of council vote not to reprimand Leahy for knowingly breaking the rules of conduct? Leahy needed to perform a suitable penance to be truly sorry for his sins. Leahy did not do so. According to the majority of council, Leahy is not to blame for breaking the rules of conduct. MICHAEL BAKER, WHITBY DO THE 'RIGHT THING' RE OSHAWA HERITAGE HOUSE Re: "Columbus Heritage House derelict 'disrespectful' to community." To the editor: It appears that the land developers (Sorbara Group) have a careless, disrespectful regard for our local history and heritage. Shame. This home and surrounding lands were purchased by the developers years ago with the intent of future home building. In the meantime, they allow the heritage home on the site to fall into total disrepair and neglect. This is an affront to the citizens of Columbus and Oshawa and should come to an immediate halt. The City of Oshawa has ordered that this historic home should be secured and protected but to no avail by the developers. Hats off to heritage advocates and Councillor McConkey for bringing the issue to the public arena. I can only trust that the entire council will insist on this developer doing the right thing with our collective history. JIM RICHARDS, ORONO LETTERS & COMMENTARY