TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 297, 12 September 1934, Page 8

TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Watching the Hawks

Aly poultry runs having suffered through the depredations of harrierhawks, I set out one (tay for- a ndarby partially-drained lake, which, was overgrowjj with raupb, and- where I know there was a nest full of fledgelings. At some distance from the swamp I noticed a hen pheasant dart into a clump of rushes, and at, the same time a-hawit dropped into the same clump. Running-, forward, I startled the hawk to wing, and it slowly and laboriously made its leaden flight, only to drop its burden after a short distance. On examining the pheasant I could find no mark, although it wns dead. When it was plucked I found four talon marks on it, two on each side. These must have pierced its vitals, causing almost instant death. When feeding the young, the mother hawk would' fly over the lake, being m«t there by one of the fledgelings, who would nimbly eatch the food which she <lrop])ed in mid-air. I have seen hawks fly after and catch small birds, including a starling. which flew into a cabbage tree. The hawk flapped its wings on one side of the tree, thp starling flew out the other, and was soon caught. Wheu these birds are in numbers, however, there is trouble in store for the hawk. The starlings fly ; n formation over the harrier, and when th’ opportunity offers, one of their number makes a dart at the hawk and inflicts some trifling, but apparently painful, wound. The hawk is only too pleased to get out of the fight.—B. A. Bartholomew (Levin). 1 •