Lake Umbagog journals, 1871-1916 (inclusive)
Page 103
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Falco columbarius. Lake Umbagog, Maine. 1895. behaving in a curious manner. I was taking my bath in our Sept. 10. cove when I heard a shrill ki-ki-ki very like that of the (2) Sparrow Hawk for which, indeed, I at first mistook it but as soon as I got my glass on the bird I saw that it was unques- tionably a Pigeon Hawk. It was either playing or fighting with a Crow, I think the former for both birds appeared to be enjoying the sport. They took turns in darting at one another when the one attacked would invariably flee, dashing and twist- ing to avoid the pursuer. After each of these bouts they would light on the stubs facing one another and usually only a few feet apart. During the plunges the Hawk would scream and the Crow uttering a rolling croak. Finally they saw me and flew off in different directions. Sept. 24. About 7 A.M just after I had come out of my tent, a Pi- geon Hawk drove a flock of ten or twelve Blue Jays into the birch grove on Pine Point and for eight or ten minutes circled or hovered above them. So long as the Jays remained perched he made no attempt to attack them although he must have seen them as more than half the leaves have fallen and the foliage is everywhere thin. But the Jays appeared to be restless and ventursome and every half minute or so one of them would rise above the trees and attempt to fly off. The instant he appear- ed the Hawk would swoop at him with such velocity that my eye