[tn-bird] Shelby Farms is minus one dove.

Sept. 24, 2002
Shelby Farms
Shelby Co. TN

Coming home this afternoon, I decided to stop by Shelby Farms for a run 
through. The ponds are too full for any shorebirds but there were the 
expected new ducks around. As I pulled in I notice huge strings of doves 
coming from the east all bunched up and streaking at full speed. I decided to 
set up at the edge of a huge harvested corn field to search through these 
nervous birds as they settled but did not feed. Many heads and necks were 
stretched to their fullest. I scanned hoping for something different and was 
alerted to anything that flew as all the heads and necks craned and turned in 
unison to watch any fly overs. I knew something was up but had to wait. I 
traced their glances to a high flying DC Cormorant, then a distant Red-tailed 
Hawk, a ring-billed Gull and a Killdeer that appeared suddenly and a 
thousands eyes followed it.

Then, there it was and IT was a small anatum type, adult Peregrine. It came 
in hugging the ground from the east and flared up into the first flushing 
group of doves. A huge clawed foot reached out and grabbed nothing but air. 
The bird turned on another group and this time a dove "thanked God" for 
giving it loose feathers, as it gave up a bunch in exchange for its life. 
Another aeronautical snap twist by the Peregrine and an upward swoop followed 
by a swift sharp dive brought another puff of feathers but no prize. 

I thought the bird had given up as there was a lull in its powerful wing 
strokes but it slowly turned and zeroed in on a dove that had decided to 
hunker in the corn stubble. Upon seeing the Peregrine coming directly at him, 
the dove lost its nerve and made a late and fatal mistake in deciding to 
flee. There was another shower of feathers but now as the Peregrine turned 
you could see the long tail feathers of the dove streaming out behind the 
huge feet. The Peregrine reached down and with a nip, the head of the dove 
dangled limp and all life was gone from the gray body. The Peregrine sped 
south to the tree line and from its direct flight I knew it had a favorite 
and secluded dinning place already picked out.

As I recovered and eased back in my seat, another bird appeared accompanied 
by a round ball of Starlings; I guess this small immature Cooper's Hawk had 
come to see what all the commotion was about but everyone was still on alert 
and it sailed and flapped off to the west followed by its entourage. 

So much for looking for a White-winged or an Inca Dove today.

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


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