Binocs, Camera, Action

 

What happened here?

We've been birding Lock 12 in Tribes Hill lately as that seems to be the only place besides the feeder where we have been actually seeing any birds. 

Lemme outta here

Talk about the February doldrums!

We went down for a bit yesterday afternoon, saw the usual 2 or 3 hundred or so Mallards, a scattering of American Black Ducks, Common Mergansers, a couple of Hoodies, and lots and lots of crows.

Did anyone get the number of that truck?

Where we usually walk to the east of the lock the pathway was rendered impassable by ice dripping off the eaves of the little building. However, I really wanted a look down into the whirl of water below the dam, and the open waters to the east.

A muddle of Mallards

Thus I climbed through knee-deep snow and down a steep bank to go around the building a different way. As soon as I reached my destination a flock of fifty or so crows set up a clamor in the trees across the river. What a racket! They swirled into the air and began to circle, twist, and dart quite frantically.

American Black Duck

I soon saw why. In the center of the whirling flock was a silver-grey arrow slicing through them like a knife. 

A Peregrine Falcon!

Looking west one cold bright day

It selected its chosen victim and nearly lit its feathers on fire following hot on its tail. What a show!

Above the dam

Alas for its luncheon it missed, but what a great look I got as it flew right over me.

I turned back to the river after watching it race away to the north just in time to see two birds hit the ground hard right under the crow flock, which had landed, but climbed upward yet again.

I could see that one was a Red-tailed Hawk, as it was quite stunned, and adjourned to some nearby brush to recuperate. I thought the other was a crow. 

To the east

Red-tails will take birds if they can get them. We used to have one that came every day to attempt to get pigeons out from under the eaves of the heifer barn. It would cling and flutter, quite upside down, trying to claw them out. I don't know if it ever caught one though.

After a bit the stunned hawk flew away, the other bird having vacated the scene post haste earlier.

Imagine my surprise when I viewed the...admittedly terrible...photos later and found that what I thought was a crow was an immature Red-tailed Hawk as well.

Wonder if what I saw was a territorial dispute or something else altogether. Any ideas? 

Sure was exciting anyhow. I had a happy grin the rest of the day.