Blackbird escapes Sharpie, but not Red-tail


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Blackbird escapes Sharpie, but not Red-tail

Observers: Andrew Kirk
Email: andrewkirk@qnet.com
Verification: MONO
Remote Name: 24.32.181.189
Date: 12/14/2007
Time: 08:19 PM -0500

Sighting

Seen at the K-Mart parking lot 13 Dec: hundreds of Brewer's Blackbirds took off and formed a tight ovate flock. Seconds later a Sharp-shinned Hawk cut one blackbird out of the flock and rode it to the asphalt. The Sharpie hooded its prey with its wings. I did not want to see the Sharpie hit by a car, so I walked toward it. When I was about 50 feet away, the Sharpie took flight, leaving the blackbird. The blackbird took off, but got only 20 feet or so, before a Red-tailed Hawk, coming in talons first, plucked the blackbird out of the air and fled. Some kind of amazing.