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High Drama in Morris Creek
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: High Drama in Morris Creek
- From: "Donna S. Bailey" <dsbailey@conterra.com>
- Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 21:33:05 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Like most rural areas, we don't get a lot of excitement. We like it that
way. But we did have a bit of excitement this afternoon.
While standing out beside the pond, binoculars in hand, I saw then heard the
Belted Kingfisher flying toward his favorite perch, the power lines that
cross the dam. I noticed he had a minnow. Unfortunately, he gulped it down
too quickly for me to really marvel at it. I looked away for a second, only
to hear the kingfisher again begin to rattle very loudly as he flew quickly
down the opposite shore. I wondered what could be causing the kingfisher to
rattle that loudly when I spotted a bird flying behind the Kingfisher.
Flap-flap-flap-sail. Flap-flap-flap-sail. Accipiter, Sharp-shinned Hawk
from the size of it, immature from the color. The Sharp-shinned wasn't
really moving fast enough to overtake the kingfisher and presently landed in
a tree on the opposite bank. The Kingfisher continued on, quickly.
For once I was glad the Sharp-shinned missed, if indeed he was cruising for
a meal. The kingfisher surely outweighed the small sharpie by more than a
few grams!
Donna Bailey
Winnsboro, SC
e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
"Where are the Birds? Migration across South Carolina"
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon
"Columbia Audubon Society"