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Terry
December 10th, 2009, 23:38
This story arrived in my mail, thought I would pass it on.

I went out to plant corn for a bit to finish a field before tomorrow morning
and witnessed The Great Battle ... A golden eagle - big *******, with about a
six foot wingspan - flew right in front of the tractor. It was being chased
by three crows that were continually dive bombing it and pecking at it. The
crows do this because the eagles rob their nests when they find them.


At any rate, the eagle banked hard right in one evasive maneuver, then
landed in the field about 100 feet from the tractor. This eagle stood about
3 feet tall. The crows all landed too, and took up positions around the
eagle at 120 degrees apart, but kept their distance at about 20 feet from
the big bird. The eagle would take a couple steps towards one of the crows
and they'd hop backwards and forward to keep their distance. Then the
reinforcement showed up.


I happened to spot the eagle's mate hurtling down out of the sky at what
appeared to be approximately Mach 1.5. Just before impact the eagle on the
ground took flight, (obviously a coordinated tactic; probably pre-briefed)
and the three crows which were watching the grounded eagle, also took flight
thinking they were going to get in some more pecking on the big bird. The
first crow being targeted by the diving eagle never stood a snowball's
chance in hell. There was a mid-air explosion of black feathers and that
crow was done. The diving eagle then banked hard left in what had to be a 9G
climbing turn, using the energy it had accumulated in the dive, and hit crow
#2 less than two seconds later. Another crow dead.

The grounded eagle, which was now airborne and had an altitude advantage on
the remaining crow, which was streaking eastward in full burner, made a
short dive then banked hard right when the escaping crow tried to evade the
hit. It didn't work - crow #3 bit the dust at about 20 feet AGL.

This aerial battle was better than any air show I've been to, including the
warbirds show at Oshkosh .. The two eagles ripped the crows apart and ate
them on the ground, and as I got closer and closer working my way across the
field, I passed within 20 feet of one of them as it ate its catch. It
stopped and looked at me as I went by and you could see in the look of that
bird that it knew who's Boss Of The Sky. What a beautiful bird!

I loved it. Not only did they kill their enemy, they ate them.

One of the best Fighter Pilot stories I've seen in a long time...

harleyman
December 11th, 2009, 03:16
Great story...

Did you witness this.... Never mind..Arrived in your mail...

We have a few Hawks near us , and I love to watch them hunt...


Thanks for sharing that Terry.

Snuffy
December 11th, 2009, 03:20
Amazing critters ... all of em ...

viking3
December 11th, 2009, 03:52
I have an eagle feather sitting right here on my desk from a similar incident. A friend and I were cruising one afternoon and came across a bald eagle trying to scavenge a deer carcass in the ditch. I say trying because it was being harassed by a half dozen crows. They almost flew right in front of our car as the furball ensued. One or two of the crows would fly 'bait' and the others would attack from the sides and behind. We watched this for quite a few minutes and then carried on our way.
On the way back I had to stop for a pee and happened to pull over where the deer carcass was. I got out of the car and right there on the shoulder was an eagle feather. I am always reminded of watching that amazing aerial display every time I look at it.

Regards, Rob:ernae:

Cazzie
December 11th, 2009, 04:21
Not eagles, but I have seen red-tail hawks do precisely the same maneuvers. I have seen red-tail hawks take as many as seven crows from the skies inside 5 minutes. The battle leading up to the kill could take 20 to 30 minutes. Usually the same motif, one hawk circling and harassing some crows, who'd caw for reinforcements, which would come in droves cawing and taking flecks at the hawk. Thing is, the hawk is very quick and jinks just as the crow gets to him. I have even seen a hawk take out a crow with a talon in such a jink. One would think that over time, the crows would have a genetic imprint that would tell them how foolish they are.

People should not confuse a Golden Eagle, which is a true raptor in every sense of the word, with a Bald Eagle, which is more of an opportunist.

Caz

Bjoern
December 11th, 2009, 09:04
Lessons learned?

All your intelligence isn't worth sqat if the other side has better weapons.

Awesome story.

mfitch
December 11th, 2009, 17:00
In the mountains here I have seen golden eagles hunt, but I have never been lucky enough to see a catch. They are great at hugging the terrain when hunting.

viking3
December 11th, 2009, 17:13
Around here we get these small falcons which the locals call chickenhawks and they hunt small birds on the fly. I watch these guys all the time and am constantly amazed when they are chasing finches and sparrows through the bush on my property.
Man for all his intelligence and abilities has nothing on the beauty of bird in flight. Our efforts are but a pale reflection of nature.

GT182
December 11th, 2009, 18:21
Great story Terry. :applause: I've also seen redtailed hawks lure in crows and take them out. Also perigrin falcons taking pigeons and rabbits. Now that is poetry in motion.

I received a video in my email awhile back of a Golden Eagle taking out a doe running across a farmer's field. What a sight that was.

cheezyflier
December 11th, 2009, 20:45
i once was on a job that was full of mice from guys throwin their sammiches on the ground and stuff. one day a sparrow hawk showed up:

http://www.slcrr.org/wildlife/Sparrow_hawk_1.jpg

he got rid of the mice in short order. it was amazing to watch. once all the mice were gone, it turned it's attention on other birds in the building and bugs. it used to streak through the purlings at blistering speeds, and i never once saw it hit. zig zagging, dipping and even turning. in case you don't know what a purling looks like, i attached a pic below. the triangle is small. if it was on the ground you couldn't crawl though it, yet this bird flew through it doing awesome maneuvers at ludicrous speed. he hung out with us for months, until fall/winter came.


http://www.ecade.eu/img/AL3B.jpg