Okay, I guess I can follow the example of other brave lurkers who
recently have emerged . . .

In the area of Believe It Or Not Biology--

While I was monitoring a peregrine nest a few years back, one day I saw both
adults in flight above the eyrie, harassing a raven--one of a pair who
were nesting in the vicinity, and who were regularly chased when the
flight back to the nest brought them too near the eyrie. Somehow, the
female falcon and the raven 'entangled' feet and began tumbling
down, first one on top then the other, locked together at the feet. I
didn't know exactly what to call the 'entanglement', but it looked
exactly like the behavior when eagles lock talons, which I've seen
a number of times.

The raven and the female falcon tumbled several hundred feet while the
male falcon repeatedly dived on the raven. Just before they were
about to hit the treetops below the cliff, they 'disengaged'.

I rarely share this story as most people I've told flat out don't
believe me.

(By the way, I was monitoring on an unpaid, volunteer basis--
now I've tied two recent threads together! And, I like Tweeters just the
way it is.)

Karen McMains mcmains at admsec.wwu.edu
Bellingham, Washington