Fellow Birders,
I recently posted about a Red-tailed Hawk attacking a duckling that had flown 3
feet off the water. I was just informed that ducklings cannot fly until they
are full grown. As careful as I am when identifying birds I guess I should be
more careful with their behavioral accounts. Here is exactly what I remember:
I was observing from the blind as a Red-tailed Hawk came diving through the sky
over the lake (pond?) at Purgatory Creek. It caused most of the gulls and terns
on the island to fly in alarm. Upon the actual strike that occured on the water
the details become somewhat fuzzy as I was a good distance away and the strike
occurred in the blink of an eye. After the Hawk hit its target I could see
wings spreading out from its talons in a last attemp to escape. I think that a
duckling was snatched off the water. However, it is possible that the target
was on the shore just beyond the ducks in which case it could have been one of
the Lesser Yellowlegs and maybe did actually fly up at the last second. I do
know that the ducks were distraught after the attack and freaked out when 2
more Yellowlegs came in for a landing. Whatever the case, it was still very
exciting. I will just tell the facts next time and not expand on something I
wasn't 100% sure about.
Good Birding,
Jason Caddy
S. Minneapolis
j.caddy at hotmail.com
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