Pardon if you've heard this one before, I recall posting it to obol, but I don
't think tweeters. Several years ago I had birded Nehalem Sewage Ponds, and as
a Peregrine flew over pretty high up, a Caspian Tern went up and easily routed
it from the area. I thought that was interesting and amusing. As I drove bac
k to the coast highway, I noticed something off to my left closing fast. It wa
s the same (I guess) peregrine in hot pursuit of a single Rock Dove. The pair
and my car were moving at right angles on a collision course. I began to slow
and as we approached, the peregrine inverted its flight, starting to come in un
dernear the pigeon, upside down, presumably to pluck it from the air from below
. Fortunately there was no other traffic. Just as all three objects converged
upon the same space, the Peregrine realized what was about to happen, flared o
ff, and disappeared. The dove continued straight ahead, probably at least 60m
ph directly into the roadside blackberry bushes. I had just then stopped, got
out of the car, and walked around to survey the "victim" which appeared
little the worse for wear, but wasn't coming out of the brambles for anything.
It would have been even more spectacular, had it not all occured in probably le
ss than 20 seconds.
This reminds me of the time my family was stepping out the front door
of a rental house in Ilwaco, only to have a Merlin fly directly in front of
the door, flare upward, and drop a Starling directly at our feet. The
starling was DOA and the Merlin must have gone looking for another as
we didn't see it again.
Forty years of birding should produce a few "close encounters".
Bob O'Brien