That title sounds like a metaphor for something, maybe political. But it’s not.
Earlier I wrote about the Ringed Turtle Dove I spotted one morning under our pine trees. I’ve been keeping a lookout for it, and have since seen it with a second dove, and the two of them courting. I think maybe they’re nesting in the pepper tree in the yard behind and downhill from ours. They like to hang out in our back yard, and I’ve seen them on the ground, on the fence, on the satellite dish, in the palm tree, in the pine tree, and on the old aerial antenna on our roof.
I also wrote earlier about the Red-Shouldered Hawks and Red-Tail Hawks in the neighborhood. I’m not sure which it is that’s been stalking the doves, but at one point yesterday I went out back and saw one of the doves perched on the satellite dish. As it sat there, I saw a hawk swoop out of the sky, diving for something in a yard two houses up the hill. I think it was a Red-Tail. The dove apparently didn’t see, or wasn’t concerned, even as the hawk flew over our yard, without any prey I could see. Disappointed, I suppose. The dove remained sitting there calmly, right out in the open, either unaware or unconcerned about the hawk.
A few minutes later, out front, I saw the hawk still flying around, getting hassled by a crow, but staying close by. When I returned to the house I took another look out back, because I’d just seen the hawk again. The dove was now perched on our back fence. I started to turn away, heard a kind of thump behind me, and turned my head. The hawk was flying away from the spot where the dove had just been. The hawk let out a frustrated cry, though, and then I saw that the dove had escaped into the nearby pepper tree. It sat there under the leaves, looking ruffled and scared. Yeah, me too. I think the noise I’d heard may have been the dove jamming off the chain-link fence into the tree with a split second to spare, but I’m not sure. It must’ve moved faster than I’ve ever seen it move.
A moment later I heard the dove cooing in the tree, but I didn’t see it sunning itself out in the open anymore yesterday, and today when I saw both doves up on our antenna, they seemed a lot more wary. The hawk, or possibly more than one, keeps circling the area, passing over now and then to see what prey is sitting out in the sun not paying attention.
I’m trying not to pay too much attention — though it’s difficult when these dramas unfold right in my back yard. It’s nature, and I love nature, but nature is dangerous at times, its beauty and peace transient at best. Today I’m keeping a respectful distance.
1.
Wow. I’ve seen plenty of hawks perched or circling but never seen one actually go after anything. My only first hand look at predators in action has been cats which have caught prey. I guess I wouldn’t want to be a dove. It’s bad enough worrying about insurance companies and such….
Comment by Eric Mayer — March 18, 2008 @ 10:10 am
2.
When I lived a short distance from you, I spotted similar scenarios. Owls (several varieties) stirred up the action as well. But I think the veryveryvery worst thing we discovered was a partial kitty-cat carcass in our backyard. We always supposed that a bird of prey had dropped it. I never saw the headless creature – too sickening for me.
Comment by Reenie — March 18, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
3.
It’s terrible and beautiful, this life and death struggle that goes on all around us each day. I’ve found a fish laying under a bush, likely dropped by a hawk or the eagle; a hawk get a tohee; and chased two young hawks away from a new turkey mom and her giblets (sorry, couldn’t resist)and then felt badly because the hawks were hungry and I interfered with their first attempt at getting their natural prey.
Comment by susan — March 18, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
4.
Eric — This was unusual. Maybe these hawks were driven out of other feeding grounds by the fires last fall. They seem to be coming in awfully close to houses and people right now.
My only other close encounter with a hunting hawk was about 25 years ago, driving to work in Coronado one morning. I turned a corner, and a hawk had just caught a pigeon mid-air, right in front of my mini-van. The hawk saw my car coming, and dropped the pigeon. Otherwise I might’ve collided with both. I doubt the pigeon survived.
Today I saw a dove on the telephone pole across the street. As I watched, two crows and another dove flew at it, startling it into flying away. Then they all dispersed. I didn’t understand this until I noticed two hawks circling nearby. I think the crows and dove were warning the dove who was sitting exposed. It doesn’t surprise me that the other dove would do that, especially if they were mates, but the crows? I didn’t realize they would cooperate that way. But it’s possible that as long as hawks are finding food in one area, they’ll just keep hanging around. After that, every bird in the area vanished and was silent for a while.
I’ve read that Red-Shouldered Hawks will team up with crows to drive Red-Tail Hawks out of nesting areas. Then there’s this example of interspecies cooperation — a dolphin rescuing beached whales in New Zealand:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7291501.stm
Reenie — I don’t recommend anyone around here keep pet cats or small dogs outside unattended. Coyotes are the main problem, but I suppose there are other predators that are a danger to them. Our cat Emily had lived out on her own here, and during the summer if we had the windows open and she heard coyotes, she got very nervous. She didn’t even bother trying to get outside very often, and the few times she did she just hung out on the back deck.
Susan — That’s what I decided, the hawks have to eat too. But I’m rooting for those doves.
Comment by Barbara — March 19, 2008 @ 4:40 pm