Much of the excitement out on the Katy Prairie on Friday involved the hawk people. Who knew how easy it is to flip a hawk over in mid air. The caracara people sure know how to do it. The victim was a white-tailed hawk that had stolen a mouse/rat kill from a kestrel right in front of me. A second white-tail hoped to get a bit but did not actually join the aerobatics. Here the caracara adds insult to injury by yanking on the tail area of the upside-down hawk http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587870 But the hawk keeps the mouse safe http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587869 And then another try http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587868 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587866 And another wing flip http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587864 Getting away? http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587863 Flipped again http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587861 After each good flipping event, the white-tail would end up on the ground. However, a caracara can run much faster than a white-tail holding a mouse http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587859 This alone made the day. A bit further down the road, a northern harrier had someone trapped in the old briar patch http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587705 If there is a bunrabbit living in the briar patch, it is possible that this is a very famous briar patch. In any event, even a hawk bouncing on the thorns has to make sure it is not bounced from above http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587708 Lots of bouncing but it is hard to bounce on thorn bushes http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587730 And more beating around the bushes http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587722 The harrier really looks like a hunting short-eared owl here http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587717 No one came out and the hawk finally gave up http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587724 Other birds out included a couple of bewick's wrens at the usual site of the bridge crossing on Longenbaugh http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587603 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587602 Harris's sparrows were out in force there http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587584 And were singing their winter chup-chup-chup song http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587585 They outnumbered the white-crowned sparrows for a change http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587583 Eastern meadowlarks were out and still a little damp from the dew and frost http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587581 This one has a tick on its side http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587579 Relatively few red-tailed hawks were out and the ones I saw were all western red-tails with no whiter or darker birds if one doesn't count the young white-tail that had a mouse that 3 red-tails wanted http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587576 The mouse was small enough to eat in mid-air http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/153587575 Lots more pictures of tipping hawks, bouncing harriers etc at http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/root -- Joseph C. Kennedy on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner
