Subject: Another bird-of-prey-in-action account
Date: Feb 10 09:52:52 1995
From: Maureen Ellis - me2 at u.washington.edu



Last March I spent a week at my parents' winter home in the
Leesburg/Griffith Lake area of north central Florida. I was birding at
the shrubby, forested edge of an open field. The trees and shrubs were
full of warblers, sparrows, chickadees, towhees, etc. all probably
getting geared up to go north. I was standing there making "pishing"
noises to get better looks at the mixed flocks when I caught a motion out
the corner of my eye. From about 200 ft across the field, a small hawk
was flying directly toward me about knee high. It was coming very, very
fast! It swerved just inches over my head and flew right in to the
flock-filled trees.

I couldn't see if it got anything, but I saw enough to tell that it was a
sharp-shinned. Wow, is it possible that birds of prey can learn to use
birdwatchers' behaviors to find easier meals??? Makes me feel a little
guilty about trying to "pish-attract" small birds just to see them
better. This is the second experience I've had that suggested the
hunting birds were using me an unwitting "partner."

Anyone else out there who has had similar experiences?

Maureen Ellis
UW Dept of Environmental Health
mellis at dehpost.sphcm.washington.edu