Female Harrier Is very much in evidence today, skimming around the fields S and E of our house and at one point almost right through the yard, not breaking a wing beat. Yes, rabbits aplenty here, and probably the voles etc it is after.
At the same time, a now prolonged American Crow mobbing has been going on the the woods edging the se field, only 150 m or so from the harriers path. Pretty sure it is one of redtail pair tho I cannot tell why the crows are so committed to mobbing in that woods. Pretty sure no crows are nesting in or near. A female started incubating in next territory west—heard yesterday. Maybe that?? It is 0.3km or so away. But this leads to a side comment. We often talk as if crows will mob anything raptorial or similar (vultures). But I have never ever seen them respond to the harriers, just redtails, Cooper’s hawks sometimes ( near nests and fledglings) and yes, Bald Eagles. Similarly I have seen them go after Merlins (and be chased in return—seen yesterday on Salem) but never turn a feather at Kestrels. That is a pretty accurate focus on the actual problem predators/nest stealers, as I understand it. So when they bother to go after Turkey Vultures, do they know something we don’t know?? Anne Sent from my iPhone -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
