Amazing aerobatics

["John Morgan" <jmorgan480 at comcast dot net>]

After reading Merrill's post about the Red-Tail attacking the Swainson's 
attacking the Peregrine attacking the unknown subject of mid-air 
collision, boyhood thoughts of "Oh gee, wouldn't that be cool to see," 
filled my mind. But the larger problem for all of us is being in the 
right place at the right time, which is usually never my opportunity.

Still, stuff that happens in your own neighborhood can be quite 
exciting-even while in traffic-if you simply look for it.

Some American Kestrels live nearby and are often hunting for mice in the 
pumpkin patch at 90th S 22nd W in West Jordan. I see them frequenting 
the same electrical wire and often see them dive down to pounce on some 
unlucky rodent. Yesterday as I reached the stoplight there, no Kestrels 
were to be found; however, my eye caught a Kestrel/Sharp-Shinned-sized 
hawk/falcon chasing a likely Red-Tailed hawk deeper out over the patch.

It was the standard chase and heckle procedure with the smaller bird 
trailing the larger bird, sometimes getting close but mostly 10' behind. 
Suddenly the smaller hawk/falcon gave a burst of speed going right for 
the head, and then BOOM....faster than the eye could see, that little 
hawk/falcon was 15 to 20 feet above and away from the Red-Tail. It 
seemed so fast, the bird literally became invisible in that split 
second.

I've never been lucky enough to witness a Sharp-Shinned Hawk pick a 
sparrow out of the air and have often found myself thinking "Oh 
sure...right...like a hawk 5 times the size of a sparrow could 
out-manuever a sparrow."

I'm a believer now. There's no sparrow or finch on this earth that could 
do what I saw that hawk/falcon do.
John
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