While walking across the Ag Quad on the Cornell campus this afternoon, I heard the screaming of a red-tail and looked up to see 3 flying overhead, just at the height of the buildings. All seemed to be chasing a pigeon, but only one continued to pursue it as the pigeon attempted to escape by flying down lower through the trees on the quad. I don't remember seeing a red-tail try to catch something in the air before, but maybe they do. Nor did I remember seeing several pursuing the same prey. In any case I was skeptical about the red-tail's chances on this bird. But, the escape path the pigeon chose led him to bump into a window. Probably only stunned at that point, but it dropped and the red-tail followed it and made the catch. Unfortunately for the red-tail, the pigeon had fallen into a window-well, probably about 8' deep, which is where the red-tail found itself as well. The first attempt of the red-tail to fly out of the window well, with its prey in the talons of its right foot, was unsuccessful. The window well ran the length of that part of the building, so when the red-tail flew the length, it was able to gain enough height to make it to the edge. By that time, I was inside looking out and it was right outside of the window. I got a close look of its rather fierce stance, hovering over its soon to be lunch, it's head feathers standing upright, which I took to be sign that it wouldn't take kindly to anything that might also be interested in lunch. The other two red-tail were no longer around at this point, and I didn't stay around either, since I already had my lunch.
Marty -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
