Falcons Harriers and Eagles

Today I saw:

One of these guys (northern harrier) circling the corn field across the road from my office, about 100 feet up & circling.

A pair of these chaps

And one of these fellows (peregrine falcon)

Huh. I guess there ARE things I like about NEPA after all.

I'm off to download Floyd's "Learning to Fly".

Birds of prey are on the rebound in the NE. Here in NY I've seen bald eagles along the river for the past several years, sometimes in numbers (saw 11 of them hanging out on river ice a few years back). I've also got nesting pairs of peregrines and barred owls around my house. The owls have been here for many years. One of the peregrines speared a robin in the back yard a year ago.

I see birds of prey every single day. Sometimes huge flocks of them, like a hundred. Once they were all sitting in trees at my house. That was a tad noisy. I've seen a Bald Eagle in a tree on the way to work. I think they come through annually and hang out at the river near here. I used to see them on the side of the road all the time when I used to go to Alaska.

There's one, I don't know what it is, but I think it is a very large bird. It comes around at night and makes a horrible noise like a child crying. Very disturbing. It used to piss off the dogs. Fortunately, we don't get that one around very often.

I use to live in that area(Poconos).... a trip down the Delaware will reveal a high number of eagles.... at least it did about 15-20 years ago.........

Living here at the shore, we see plenty of Osprey, their numbers never went down. RedTails are on the rise and the Bald Eagles are on the rebound.

I actually got "hit" by a redtailed hawk a couple of years ago leaving work. He was so concentrating on taking down a pigeon, that they both swooped around me as I walked, the wings of the hawk hitting me in the shoulder as it went by

I love birds of prey and how they showcase that they aren't to be berkeleyed with. I've had osprey drop sizeable sticks upon me when I didn't notice they had a nest in the perch of a tree a few hundred feet away. And I've had the outrigger of the boat broken via freefalling striped bass courtesy of an angry bald eagle who wanted the fishing ground to themselves. That got interesting, as the fish ended up in the boat and said eagle wanted it back. Eventually I got the fish onto the tee top where it was able to retrieve it whoever fear of it tearing my face off, or other bodily injury.

Peregrines are absolutely insane. I kinda wish keeping pigeon coupes would make a comeback for viewing purposes of their hunting. I've always been curious about the G loads that they sustain from the deceleration when taking out their prey mid flight.

In reply to RexSeven:

Exactly what I thought of with the title.

We have a few hawks that live in our yard and at least one great horned owl. The owl almost sounds like a dog barking his call is so loud and harsh. But it's rhythmic and comes only at night. I've watched the hawks carry off a rabbit, chipmunk, and hunt for moles. That was neat. I also saw them fighting each other which was amazing. One dove at the other from above and the lower one went into an upside down free fall to show his talons to the attacker. The attacker called off his approach and the lower guy went back to level flight. All that happened about 50 feet off the ground and over the course of a half second. Their flight skills are incredible.

I need to get my eyes checked. There is a lot of cool stuff in the world and I feel like I miss too much of it.

In reply to Robbie:

Before I was 35 I didn't give a E36 M3 about anything I couldn't berkeley, eat, drive, smoke or drink. Birds and plants/gardening are recently acquired old-man interests. Someday I will like Buicks, buffets and golf. After that, Wheel of Fortune, shuffleboard, Jell-o?

RexSeven wrote:

I've been dive bombed by Peregrine falcons three times.

One of the buildings I worked in has a nest box on the roof. They are very territorial, and have no problem showing you they don't want you there.

There's a lot of whoop ass in that bird sized package.