FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Chimney Swift Fighter Pilots??

["Colwell, Darby" <DColwell@xxxxxxxxx>]

As I was golfing the other day, I observed a Red-tailed Hawk circling
above and one small dark bird approaching.  Fully expecting that it was
a Mocker. I was not surprised when the bird began to attack the hawk.
Then what I saw has prompted this posting: the small bird, which by now
I could see (even without binos) was not a Mocker, landed on the head of
the still circling hawk and repeatedly pecked on the hawk's head.
Subsequent to that incident I saw a flock of Chimney Swifts circling and
clicking as I have seen before and could confirm my original ID.  Has
anyone ever seen this behavior of a bird landing on a hawk in flight and
riding on him while pecking his head? Or anything like it?
Thanks.

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