One thing that struck me odd about Enoshima island, was the obvious lack of something you’d usually find anywhere (at least in the US) by the ocean coast.
Seagulls. There just weren’t any. Then we spotted this sign:
Beware of Hawks!!
“Beware of Hawks!!”
食べ物をねらって、後ろから飛びかかってきます。
するどいツメで、けがをすることがあります。
ご注意下さい。
Translation (more or less)
“They’ll aim for your food, fly from behind and come to take it.”
“Their sharp claws will injure you.”
“Please be careful.”
The parts marked 1) and 2), I *think* are something about 1) “Don’t give the hawks any food (don’t hold your food up.)” and 2) something about “protecting your face.”
Sure enough, a quick glance up revealed a few of these guys hanging on the wind, just hovering around waiting to pounce on something. Although we never saw them actually dive bomb anyone, or anything. It probably explained the lack of seagulls, too. The hawks likely drove them away.
I’d imagine, though, on a busy day with lots of people around munching on whatever portable food they might have… the hawks might take notice.
It was still kind of disconcerting though. “Beware of Hawks!!” *shiver*
Related posts:
“Beware of Hawks”?
The sign is sort of mistranslated as it reads, “Beware of Kites” which I suppose would be confusing with the kids toy.
Endoshima is infested with
“tobi”–Kites, which are known for their ability to hover. Besides stealing lunches, the “tobi” nest in large groups that defecate huge piles of fishy poop.
The Kanji is 鳶 but most people just write the word in Katakana トビ . Oddly Japanese more commonly pronounce it tonbi トンビ .
Weird factiod: Kite are listed in Leviticus, 11.14, as ‘an abomination’.
Other Japanese beaches have the more solitary (and not stinky) Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also known colloquially as seahawk, fish hawk.