During a “meet and greet” with members of the Sierra Club at Rep. Mike HUCKLEBERRY’s (D-Greenville) 10th floor House Office Building (HOB) office, the environmental group’s lobbyist gasped and jumped out of her chair, pointing out the window over Huck’s shoulder.

“I thought a missile was coming at us,” Huckleberry said.

But it was only the red-tailed hawk that hunts pigeons between the Capitol and the HOB. He often is perched atop the Roosevelt Parking Deck elevator shaft.

“Don’t worry,” Huckleberry told the lobbyist. “We watch him hunt here all the time. In fact, we’ve named him after his nasty habit of attacking innocent prey. We call him Saul,” he said with a smile.

Huckleberry Chief of Staff Ed WENDOVER said the bird’s name was changed in honor of former Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul ANUZIS, who targeted Huckleberry aggressively during the ‘08 campaign. Apparently, he was initially known as “Newt” by the Democratic freshman members of the House.