Saturday I was up in the Crab Creek Drainage out of Red Rock Coulee at the
Natural Corral lakes. (15 miles or so west of Othello, WA) At the end of
the Natural Corral road I had stopped to chase some butterflies when I heard
a Raven give what sounded like a surprised yelp! I looked up and across the
lake a Raven was being dived upon by a Prairie Falcon. To my surprise, the
Raven did not fly away in a big hurry, but rather sort of circled and soared
as the falcon climbed up and dove on it again. Again the Raven made a loud
series of calls and the falcon screamed. This was repeated, 2 more times,
each time, the Raven sort of slowly circling away further to the west. Then
the falcon changed direction and began continuously screaming and flying
back the other direction. A second Raven which I did not see originally flew
up from the rocks and beat wings east. To my surprise, the first raven
actually flew back and chased after the falcon. The falcon chased after the
second raven only a little bit, then turned around and made yet another pass
at the now following raven, who again sort of tilted sideways to avoid the
falcon, then continued east after the first raven. The falcon landed on a
shelf of rock, close by where there was considerable whitewash. I did not
have a scope with me, but it looked as if there was a dark and light spot
wedged into a crevasse near where the perched falcon was sitting. A nest?

My interpretation is that the first Raven was drawing the falcon away so
that a second Raven could perhaps attack a nest. I could be way off base,
especially since I can not confirm a nest. Sure was interesting to watch.

On another non-bird note, at the Hanford Monument, along a sandy road were
thousands of crickets. I have never seen so many before.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher

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