I heard of an American Bald Eagle catching a small child just as they were about to enter a McDonalds. The child got away just in the nick? of time, by the quick thinking of the adults close by. ?The Eagle, not being swayed and being very hungry stayed in a tree close by the restaurant. After enjoying a nice?Super sized ?m eal , the child exited the McDonalds, the Eagle noticed and again swooped in to take the child. Fortunately, the child, being weighed down by his lunch, was far to heavy to lift. Again the Eagle was thwarted. It was seen flying off in the direction of the Subway shop. How very lucky for the kid! McDonalds saved the day!!



Happliy birding,

Beth Thompson

Arlington, WA



Sorry, bad humor!


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----- Original Message -----
From: "Bud Anderson" <falconresearch at gmail.com>
To: "tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 2:01:20 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Raptors carrying prey

?Not to beat this subject to death but, to me, it is very difficult to make definitive statements about this subject. There are about 300 species of raptors worldwide and their abilities and life styles vary enormously. Add into the equation all of the physics involved and it gets complex fast.?


You'd have to define the situation first. Are we talking about a raptor taking off from the ground with prey and, if so, what shape is that prey, does it have wings, legs, etc? How much resistance does it present? Is the prey taken off the surface of a body of water while the bird is in flight (Bald Eagles) or from a standstill at the surface (Ospreys)? Most importantly to me is whether the prey is carried over a cliff, especially with wind. And, of course, just how strong is that wind?



All of this comes from watching a tiny little adult male Barbary Falcon (350 grams) on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands catch and carry a Rock Pigeon (265-380 grams) to its nest from out over a vast gulf of air with heavy winds next to a 1,500 foot cliff. I would have bet $1,000 that bird could never have done that, but it did.?


--
Bud Anderson
Falcon Research Group
Box 248
Bow, WA 98232
(360) 757-1911
falconresearch at gmail.com
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