"Fate probably cries whenever she gets a chance"

[larryhammer]

The promised content: I haven't given updates on the juvenile peregrine falcon's progress because, aside from some oh noes dramas! with the pair of juvenile Cooper's hawks that hang around the live oaks across the road (being fledged earlier and two against one, they've crossed the tracks a couple times to harass their larger but more clumsy neighbor) there's been nothing much to report aside from loitering. So I'll report on today's other raptor encounter.

There's a city well on my route to work. This morning a juvenile hawk was standing in the middle of the gravel apron that surrounds it -- kinda blending in, with its rough buff feathers. I think it was a red-tailed hawk, but I'm not sure. I noticed it only when I was almost past it, and stopped to watch.

It looked back at me, annoyed.

I watched some more. It stayed annoyed.

I stood there, watching. It shifted its feet -- was it standing on something? -- and projected annoyance.

I watched. It got irritated.

I watched, wondering how long we were going to keep this up this exchange. It took off. And as it flapped away, the juvenile cactus wren in its claws cried out, once, twice, thrice, before they were out of range over the houses.

Given the hawk didn't seem to know what to do with its prey, I'm wondering whether that was its first kill. Or first catch, at any rate.

---L.

Comments

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Maybe he was saving it for lunch.

[larryhammer]

Always a possibility.

---L.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Poor cactus wren!

And poor hawk--he probably thought you were going to take his catch away from him.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

He knew what to do with it, and he wasn't going to do it in front of you---a bigger animal who might eat his prey and him too!

[(Anonymous)]

A hawk fell out of the sky once about 10 feet from me. "Let's get closer," said the exchange student who'd just raked my yard, wanting a better look. The hawk looked annoyed. "I don't think that's a good idea," I said, futilely, then followed Daniel to the hurricane fence the hawk was just beyond. The hawk looked really annoyed. It had some kind of bird in its feet, which it appeared to be wringing (the bird, I mean. Not the feet).

Our approach somehow resulted in the prey bird escaping.

The hawk looked really, really annoyed before s/he took off.

I suppose I should feel bad about the results of our interference, but I dont.

CW

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

lol -- What a wonderful description of this interaction. I can just see this young bird's expression. Geez, I finally catch one of these danged things, and this darn human! has to interfere. *G*