[obol] Re: Coos Gyr, lotsa Cacklers 10/18/2014
- From: David Irons <llsdirons@xxxxxxx>
- To: Alan Contreras <acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx>, "timrodenkirk@xxxxxxxxx" <timrodenkirk@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 06:40:14 +0000
Alan et al.,
I suspect that the apparent connection between the arrival of Aleutian Cackling
Geese and the earliest Gyrfalcons of the season in Coos County is temporal only
and that it has little to do with the route each species took to get here. As a
general rule, raptors are diurnal migrants whose migratory routes are mostly
over land, which allows them to take advantage of thermal uplift that occurs
during daylight hours. Aleutian Cackling Geese take a more direct route from
their Arctic breeding grounds, which takes them across well over a thousand
miles of open ocean. When migrating, geese to continue flying all day and all
night, making a mostly non-stop flight. When hunting waterfowl, falcons
essentially blast their prey to the ground with a high-speed stoop from above.
I can't imagine a falcon, even a Gyr grabbing a goose out of midair or carrying
one very far after knocking it down into the water. With no terra firma on
which to dine, what point would there be to the falcons following their prey
base out over the open ocean?
Dave Irons
Portland, OR
Subject: [obol] Re: Coos Gyr, lotsa Cacklers 10/18/2014
From: acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 15:06:26 -0700
CC: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: timrodenkirk@xxxxxxxxx
There has been a pattern of occasional October Gyrs on the south coast. I
wonder if they simply fly down with the geese. Why not?
..Alan Contrerasacontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
Eugene, Oregon
On Oct 20, 2014, at 3:01 PM, Tim Rodenkirk wrote:Jim Heaney observed a
GYRFALCON at New River, Coos this past weekend (on Saturday). I remember when
Dave Pitkin was still alive, that he observed a Gyrhanging with the ALEUTIAN
CACKLING GEESE in that same area for a few falls and perhaps followed the
flocks down from Alaska. I was with Terry Wahl on Sunday (the 19th) and he
got a call from Rick McKenzie who has a large ranch near New Lake in the same
area where the Gyr was seen. Rick said he had 20,000 Aleutians on his ranch, a
pretty huge number for fall (perhaps the most he has had on his place this time
of year?). Jim mentioned seeing the Gyr carrying a gull but also saw evidence
of cackler kills along the beach there... Merry migration!Tim RCoos Bay
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