[bcbirdclub] Re: Golden Eagle and Common Raven Dogfight
- From: "Bob" <bebirding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opiehunter@xxxxxxxxx>, <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "'buchanan co bc'" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "'virginia birds'" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:02:37 -0500
Tom Hunter you make life very rough for those of us who have to work and
have a raptor addiction.
Bob(Bebirding)Riggs
Lebanon, VA
_____
From: bcbirdclub-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bcbirdclub-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Thomas Hunter
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 11:07 PM
To: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; buchanan co bc; virginia birds
Subject: [bcbirdclub] Golden Eagle and Common Raven Dogfight
Travis Ratliff and I decided to do a couple of hours of birding before the
rains hit Russell County today. We started with 3 male Northern Pintails
mixed in with 75 plus Mallards at the mudhole at Elk Garden.
We travelled on to Corn Valley and were treated to quite a show. As we
parked and got out of the truck to scan the mountains we saw a couple of
Ravens soaring above the ridge line. We then saw 2 immature Golden Eagles
come out of the treeline. One of them had a large object in his talon and he
and his companion began to play a game. The one would soar over the ridge
then drop the object and then catch it before it hit the ground. The
companion would follow behind and then chase the other back over the ridge.
After they tired of the game one of the Eagles left but the other began
slowly circling the ridgeline and of course the Ravens began chasing. Travis
and I watched a continuing dogfight between the Eagle and the Ravens. The
Eagle would soar high with the Ravens in pursuit and then would dive towards
the ground with 2 Ravens hot on his tail.Then the Eagle and the Ravens would
emerge from the treeline in a vertical climb except this time the Eagle was
doing the chasing. The number of Ravens kept increasing until there were 12
or more still soaring with the Eagle. Each time the Eagle would roll onto
his back with the talons up the Ravens stopped their pursuit and scattered.
This went on for over 10 minutes and all of this time I did not see the
Golden Eagle flap his wings. It was a spectacular exhibit of flying skills.
Oh yes, we also saw 4 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 American Kestrels, 1 Sharp-shinned
Hawk, 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, numerous Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped
Warblers.
Tom Hunter
Tom & Laverne Hunter
Russell County Bird Club
Lebanon, VA
Other related posts:
