Frazz by Jef Mallett for November 13, 2023

Absolutely love how Jef drew the chewing in the final panel and the sandwich .

Yeah. I wouldn’t want that amount of brain power either.

Let us prey … Thank you Lord, that we don’t prey on rodents.

At least we hope it’s not rodent. When we lived further out in the country, we constantly had hawks circling over our field. Looking for rabbits, I think.

I can pray from 10,000 feet.

Interesting fact.

10,000 feet? If we switch to metric, they’ll starve to death.

Ravens can spot another raven a mile away and know if it’s one of their friends.

Don’t think that one out too long Frazz… Take Caulfield’s sandwich for instance. Peanut butter, jam and bread may contain (according to the FDA) several mg of unavoidable insect parts, poop and rodent hair, charmingly referred to as “food defects”.

O, Cursed, to be a near-sighted hawk!

Hate to break it to you but the FDA allows a certain small percentage of insect and rodent parts in food…

Feathered rabbits…

There’s a Perigrine that lives in the building across from mine. Whenever she’s in town the pigeon population goes down. Can’t say I complain.

I can usually see a Dairy Queen sign from 10,000 feet…

2 hawk types use our 6 feeder posts as perches for several minutes some days. They are beautiful and fierce looking. Their gaze covers the area. But, apparently just for the fun of it, birds come to the feeders anyway. There are thick shrubs within a 20 ft of the deck and, if the hawk even clears its throat or ruffles its feathers, the birds are >>>>gone. Just colorful streaks in the open space.

For me, one curious activity occurs when hawks land in the grass and feed on something there. Usually too far away for me to see the ‘food’ even with field glasses. Assume a slug or some other tasty morsel.

We live in a heavily wooded suburb in central VA and they are a good mix in the very limited animal population. We enjoy seeing them.

Caulfield has a selective set of priorities. He’ll take the sight and the height but will pass on the menu. He hasn’t so far seemed to glom the fact that there are consequences to every decision and that, sometimes, a leap before a look can put one in a bind.

Ever wonder why so many animals are so easily domesticated? Because the promise of food and shelter is amazing to them. The “wild and free life” sucks when you’re starving.

Although I wouldn’t mind a mouthful of hasenpfeffer.

Hmmm, this strip is set in Michigan, but that’s an Atlanta Falcons logo on Frazz’s T-shirt. I wonder if there’s some subtle point being made here. It couldn’t possibly be that Jef Mallett’s developing a soft spot for football, could it?

Very Funny! Peanut butter and jelly has fewer bones.

I can spot fast food from 10,000 feet away. Farther, on the interstate.

Earlier this year I watch a hawk catch an updraft and almost effortlessly rise at least a couple of hundred feet nearly straight up in about 12 seconds.

I’d eat at least three filthy raw pigeons to feel that sensation.

I was describing my resident Cooper’s hawk to someone once and how doves, which have nest after nest after nest all year as long as the food and weather are good, laying eggs right in there with babies about to fledge, are meat factories for the hawks. Her reaction was, Wait. You’re saying—Birds? Eat birds? Well, yeah, who else in nature is equipped to do it?

For Caulfield, this is unusually basic and low on arrogance.

Healthy Eating by Frazz?

To quote the Great Gary Larson, “Birds of prey know they are cool.”

Eating bird would be a common ground with a hawk. And rabbit, too. But I’d miss salad, fruits and vegetable – and all things baked.