Yesterday from East Shore Park (RT 34 N just outside of Ithaca), I watched an immature Bald Eagle unsuccessfully try to catch a female Mallard duck. There where hundreds of ducks on Cayuga Lake in that area, but the Eagle had isolated this hen. She would dive under the water while the Eagle hovered about 10 feet above her. Every time she would break the surface of the lake, the Eagle would drop down almost to the duck, but she would dive out of reach again and again. It was a pretty windy day, and the Eagle was young and inexperienced. Seems like the duck had the wind figured out, but the Eagle did not. The Eagle kept maneuvering to keep the wind in its face, which made hovering easier, but which also gave the duck it's chance. When the Eagle let it's guard down for about a tenth of a second, the wind pushed it backwards about 2-3 feet. At that moment, the duck shot up out of the water like a cork which had been held underwater in a bathtub. By the time she was 3 feet in the air, she already was powering her way forward into the wind with quick wingbeats. The Mallard got away before the Eagle could overcome its backward momentum. If the Eagle had better used the wind to its advantage, the duck probably would not have had a chance. If the Eagle survives, I am sure it will learn from that experience.
It's fun to see what nature can teach us. Jody Jody W. Enck, PhD Conservation Social Scientist, and Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network 607-379-5940 -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
