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Posted by Paul-the-other, not B, not L on 07:15:31 05/27/04
For almost a month we watched the killdeer tending their eggs, and then for the last two weeks watched as the little ones learned to hunt, run, and enjoy the essence of life. Then came the ravens..daily. At first the hunt was easy as the chicks were so small and barely a mouthful. Four went to three on day 7 of life. Still the remaining three went about business of growing. Then on Monday came the juggernaut. Several ravens came in at medium altitude. Mother killdeer sent up the siren call of distress. Mockingbirds, shrikes, unattached killdeer, mom and dad killdeer, three red-wing blackbirds all rose to meet the common enemy. The aerial dual began. About 25 small birds diving and buzzing the three ravens. It was right out of the "Battle of Britain". Such tenacity the little fighters displayed. The shrike battled at same altitude, the mockingbirds rose to a height and dived on the ravens and the red-wings just trailed and nipped. The killdeer showed remarkably twists and turns for what you might suspect is just a running bird.
Then a very unusual thing happened. Pilots in the group will pick up on this. Two ravens led the flurry of feathers away to the west while the third raven actually side slipped (one wing down the other raised) and dove to the ground flared out before crashing and deftly plucked the second baby killdeer up. Mom and dad killdeer were duped! Raven gained altitude with the crying still alive chick in its beak. ""killeee, killdee killdeeee faded off into the west as the not too victorius confederation returned from their harrasing of the other two raven.
Mom and dad killdeer landed and called a few plaintiff cries to their now gone offspring. They then turned their attention to the remaining two chicks.
The circle of life at Hoechoka Hammock. But very very hard to watch.
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