Mitch,
I agree with all you say in your post - except your underestimation
of an immature male Sharp-shinned Hawk.
While watching a Pileated go about its business one fine fall morning,
an immature male Sharpie made a pass at the woodpecker. The woodpecker
appeared disdainfully unimpressed as it saddled around the tree, avoiding
the Sharpie at the very last instant. Not to be denied, the Sharpie made
3 more attempts, but all were deftly avoided.
I really do not think the Sharpie was seriously trying to make a meal of th=
e
woodpecker - nor do I think he could have subdued it if he had latched on.
I have seen on several occasions, immature male Sharpies take on entire
flocks of crows that were harassing it. They seem to take pleasure in inci=
ting
the crows and make no serious attempt to flee. In one instance I saw a
Sharpie actually latch on to the back of a crow and ride it to the ground.
The sounds made by the victim, and the assembled flock of 20 or more other
crows were spectacular, and still reverberate in my head after 30 years.
Alas, this occurred before I carried a recorder everywhere, but may have
been part of the reason I do now!
Drew
>Not so with Sharp Shin and Sparrow hawks, being smaller, they are the
>bird catchers in this area however I would suspect a Pileated Woodpecker
>is more bird than a Sharp Shin or a Sparrow Hawk wants to tangle with as
>they are similar in size...
>
>If you are interested, in my collection of recordings, I have a short
>recording of the Redtails overhead:
> http://www.4shared.com/audio/X6z-Kbro/4522partial.html
>
>Photos that go with recording:
>http://www.4shared.com/folder/1_leWlO7/Red-tail_Hawk.html
>
>--
>--
>Mitch Hill
>
>(Sent from HP DV6T)
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
>sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.
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