|
Dear COG Chat Line
Further to Martin's observation and Philip's
comment, I had an unusual "Magpie-free" visit by a pair of Eagles yesterday -
they were present for some 35 minutes in total.
- "Today was a clear sky, but with a very gusty south-westerly wind. The
rear of my house (and the back deck) looks south-west, over a long sloping
gully. So, when the wind blows up the valley it is perfect for Eagles to be
able to soar and circle, rise up then stall and dive. Good fun acrobatic stuff
of which Wedge-tailed Eagles are the masters.
- "Interestingly, at no stage were they challenged by the resident Magpie
clan. Whether this is because even the Maggies are wary of taking on two
Eagles together, or whether it was simply that the strong wind upsets the
Magpies (which were quiet all day long) I cannot say for sure. But the
observation is there - no challenge to these great birds from the Magpies.
Normally one can usually expect 3 to 6 Magpies to sound the alarm when any
Bird of Prey enters their territory."
- (from last night's blog posting).
- http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2010/03/windy-day-blows-for-eagles.html
So, there is a double question in my mind -
were the local Magpies put off their normal boisterous defence of territory by
the wind, or were two Wedgies just too challenging for them? Of course, there is
one other factor, the Eagles, which are a bit slow and ponderous in light wind
conditions, are much more agile in strong winds, and so would be far better able
to manoeuvre in the event of a magpie attack. So, perhaps the wind tips the odds
in favour of the Eagles - and Magpies might well understand that, and do not
bother to hassle them on windy days?
Comments welcome.
Several interesting pictures on the Blog -
one with the Eagle's legs down and claws open. Most unusual, in my
experience.
Cheers
|
