Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Beleagured Cooper's Hawk



A few days ago I saw an immature Cooper's Hawk flying across the marsh in St. Bernard Parish, headed over a treeless expanse of hundreds of yards.

Unfortunately for the hawk, it was pestered the entire way by Eastern Kingbirds and Purple Martins- between three and five diving at its back the whole way.  As soon as it made the far shore, it plunged down into the trees for relief.

Kingbirds and martins are well known to mob raptors; nothing unusual there.
What was notable was the duration of the attack, which lasted for hundreds of yards.  I have to wonder whether an adult hawk would have exposed itself on such a long overwater trek with no place to take cover!

Good birding,

Peter

For a copy of Birding Made Easy-New Orleans, email me at Birding.Made.Easy.New.Orleans@gmail.com

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