[Birdtalk] Magpies and Hawks

[Jim & Beanie]

I have often seen magpies pestering hawks of all sizes.  This morning there was a Kestrel in my backyard, and a magpie was pestering it.  Then the hawk took to wing and dove on the magpie.  I was hoping magpie for breakfast, but the little kestrel is no match for the magpie even though it can fly circles around the magpie.     The magpie flew off with the  kestrel chasing it.   A few minutes later the Kestrel returns to its perch, and the magpie comes and the whole thing was repeated.  

Two years ago we had a kestrel nest in the box in the backyard.  Before the little hawks  fledged, a magpie was trying to catch the babies from the box.  It would alight on the front of the box and poke its head in.  I never saw the magpie actually get a baby hawk, but saw the magpie on the box several times.  The parent kestrels would go nuts and dive bomb the magpie.  This didn't seem to bother the magpie much.  One time the male kestrel alit on the magpies back, and I thought, ok magpie for dinner, but no, they both tumbled to the ground and seconds later both flew up.  The magpie then gave up the quest for the tmie being and flew away.  I guess the magpie is a bit too large for the kestrel to kill. 

Jim
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