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Posted by Angel & Mariel on 11:37:59 02/26/09
In Reply to: Re: cedar waxwings, rubythroats and a Cooper's Hawk story posted by Stephen Paez
Last Friday while leaving work we were treated to an awesome display of quick thinking and maneuverability by a Boat-tailed Grackle which was being chased by a Cooper's hawk. The Boat-tailed Grackle flew about ten to fifteen feet in front of us with a Cooper's in hot pursuit. These birds came out of no where and the whole thing happened in a blink of the eye. We first heard a Grackle making a weird call. Then the wind breaking off the Cooper's wings as it tried to snatch the grackle out of the air. The Grackle thinking quickly flew right at us which confused the hawk a bit and then the Grackle dove under a van that was parked in the loading dock right next to us. The Cooper's pulled up inches from crashing with the van, the Grackle stayed under the van panting and looking in all directions. The Grackle stayed under the van for a while until it decided to check things out. We never saw the Cooper's again, that was one lucky Grackle. We were astonished to see the grackle use us to get away from its pursuer, it was a National Geo moment.
Nature is Awesome
Angel & Mariel
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