I was doing a backyard Big Day today as I was home doing gardening. I saw in my binoculars a group of 5 WF Ibis being pursued by a falcon. The birds were flying as fast as they could but the falcon was gaining height and distance. After a minute of two of closing the gap, a single bird separated from the group, and was clearly the target for the falcon. The falcon went into a dive and the Ibis dove as well...the falcon missed. It immediately swooped upward and and the pattern repeated...with a miss. Then the third time the falcon dove, the Ibis did too and both birds were ripping the skies downward at phenomenal speed. The falcon overtook the Ibis and and grabbed it in that steep dive, then flapped vigorously to slow the speed and control its landing to the ground. It was a high drama event for the day!
I have 30 species as of noon, but will be tough to beat the record of 42 set in 1999. Best birds besides those above were Green-tailed Towhee, Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, 10 Sandhill Cranes migrating overhead, Vesper Sparrow, WC Sparrow, Mockingbird, and Swainsons Hawk. At Home Lake this morning, A Snow Goose among 100 Am White Pelicans was very late. Headed to SE Colorado this weekend. See some of you there.... Cheers..... John Rawinski Monte Vista -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
