[Birdtalk] Long dry spell ended--SSH goes to college

[John Morgan]

Last Spring I reported watching (out my bedroom window!) a Peregrine Falcon create a pigeon-feather snowstorm. That was the high point. It's been a long accipiter dry spell since then. Just haven't seen anything exciting. (An American Kestrel on a wire/pole/perch is not a reportable event.)

So today I observed the behavior of a Sharp-Shinned Hawk in hot pursuit, and came away thinking "I'm not that different from that bird!" As I came out the west door of the Technology building at SLCC, the SSH was seen in a high-speed (though tired) chase after some unknown bird...both were heading southbound towards the north door of the Student Center building. The chase went at the observed speed, right up to the building, at which point the target bird made some sort of fancy manuever towards the ground and in/around/through the bushes there. The hawk seemed to be out of energy, and after landing on the ground at the point where the target bird 'should have been', and with that "I lost my LBJ...hawk in the headlights" kind of look, it finally ascended to a tree immediately South of the Business building to consider what to do next. 

Wasn't there but 20 seconds, when it got up and flew straight NW to a point over our heat plant building where it flew right into a thermal...as if it had seen some sort of evidence of lift from where it was perched! (I maintain that soaring birds* have an unseen sense of thermals lifting off). Suddenly the pursuit of dinner  was exchanged for the pursuit of fun. I watched as it circled multiple times, drifting substantially downwind and gaining 100'.

Must've been a man hawk, evidenced by demonstrating dual interests in food and fun. Suddenly that hawk's life made a lot more sense to me. Both of us went to college for the same reason today! 

*SSH's barely qualify in my book...but they do try hard :)
John 

(Rivalry Week: may your favorite (blue) team win!)
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