All,
Saw an adult Red-tail footing a cottontail rabbit in the field behind my
house today. The Red-tail stood for quite some time 3-5 minutes minimun
footing the rabbit. It didn't try to fly off with the Rabbit as far as I
could tell. He was pretty motionless for quite a while and I originally
thought that the black spot in the distance was not a bird at all. But bins
proved otherwise. Despite having been caught and footed all this time by an
Adult Red-tail the rabbit escaped. The Red-tail for some reason simply flew
off without his dinner. The rabbit was clearly injured for it hopped off at
a very slow and somewhat staggered manner. The rabbit made it to a hedgerow
and then the Red-tail returned. However, it did not try to catch the rabbit
a second time. It just perched on a tree limb above the hedge. I am not at
all certain this rabbit will survive but then again I no nothing of rabbits.
Any ideas on why the Red-tail would do this?
Can they not lift off with a rabbit in tow? Why didn't he kill the rabbit?
William Leigh
Leightern@xxxxxxx
Bridgewater va
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