Wandering Tattler - November 2011.pdf - Nature Vancouver

Viewing 7,300 Bald Eagles!!Can we top that this year?OBSERVING BIRDSWOODPECKER PLAYS HIDE AND SEEKFROM HAWKToday in the back forty a Downy woodpecker was working onsome rotten Alders when a Cooper’s hawk came flashing up outof nowhere. The hawk went for the woodpecker, talons outand the Downy dodged the first pass and slide around to theside I was on which was opposite the direction the hawk hadgone. To my surprise the woodpecker disappeared and Ithought maybe the hawk had hit it and it had dropped to theground. The hawk perched not far away without anything in itstalons so I wondered where the Downy went. So did the hawkwho continually scanned the area of the tree where the birdhad been. The hawk suddenly turned its head another directionand took off after somebody else I guess. I turned back fromwatching the hawk fly away and there was the woodpecker onthe very tree it had been before! Magic? The woodpeckerlooked all around then flew away.I was curious so I went and got my bins and then climbed up anearby tree to get a better look. Directly under a branch was alarge crack in the tree. My best guess was the woodpeckerducked in there and hid. I couldn't think of any other way thebird could disappear so quickly. Thinking about it later, itseemed a risky strategy because if the hawk saw the bird go inall it had to do was wait out the woodpecker, or maybe it couldhave fished it out with an extended talon. But maybe theattention span of a hungry hawk is short enough to make itworth the chance, or maybe hawks aren't savvy enough to puttogether a missing prey and a hiding place. It still has mefilled with questions. If this happened like I think it did, arehiding places just matters of chance or do woodpeckers keepin range of such things. This hawk, or perhaps a couple, hasbeen hunting regularly in these woods recently. Do suchrecurring encounters with hawks raise a woodpecker’sawareness of escape routes? Does regular hunting in the samearea create hyper alert prey birds, thus hawks have lesssuccess and move to other locales where they can surprise newbirds easier?So many questions, so few answers. Aint nature grand?Rob SandelinNaturalistFRASER VALLEYBALD EAGLE FESTIVALNOVEMBER 19 & 20, 2011The highlight will be not just the exhibits and groundobservations of bald eagles but the Fraser River Safaritours which will be four times daily. In addition to DavidHancock's afternoon lecture both days at the Tapaderaclubhouse; he will be the guest tour guide on the FRS onthe first tour each day at 9:30 a.m.The boat is covered and heated so you won't get wet orcold. It pulls right up to the "eagle trees" and thewindows slide open for easy picture taking. Space is verylimited as the boat only seats 22.SO BOOK EARLY!!http://www.fraserriversafari.com/1-866-34-TOURSFor other events, programs, walks, etc.see the website at:http://fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca/The Wandering Tattler – November 2011 page 15