It's not easy being ...

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Sometimes these other bird attacks are with contact and other times they are all bluff. Two weeks ago I came home and on my arrival noticed a big fuss from Australian Magpies (who I know have young at fledging stage) and Pied Currawongs (who usually nest nearby but I have not yet noticed it this year). Several of both were dive bombing something high in one of the trees in my local park. On approaching the tree I noticed one very handsome looking adult female Brown Goshawk. Although it was within the canopy foliage, the harassment by the other birds, as vigorous, noisy and bold as it looked, never came closer than about 30 cm from the perched Goshawk.

 

Philip Veerman

24 Castley Circuit

Kambah  ACT  2902

 

02 - 62314041

-----Original Message-----
From: martin butterfield [
Sent: Saturday, 31 October 2009 2:38 PM
To: COG List
Subject: [canberrabirds] It's not easy being ...

.. a raptor. 

A couple of days ago my GBS site
was graced by a pair of soaring Wedge-tailed eagles.  As Jack Holland
commented some time back, their impending presence was advertised by every
magpie i the vicinity going into defender mode.  initially they were joined
by the Pied Currawongs nesting in our yard and the Grey Currawong family from
further up the block.  However only ythe magpies pursued the fight, with
one following an Eagle up to several hundred metres above the ground.  Ths
morning only a sngle wedgie appeared, but again got a hot welcome.  (On
both casions the eagles screamed defiance, particularly when they were actually
hit by their harassers,

Sortly afterthe first episode I saw a
Nankeen  Kestrel getting the treatment form a fairy martin.  Yesterday
a pair of kestrels came over my site, performing some very fancy swoops and
glides (although this seemed to be more capturing prey than a display flight as
described in HANZAB).  They were greeted by a very unhappy Black-faced
Cuckoo-shrike and eventually moved off further up the
block..

Martin