The Gun Counter

I was working outside in my firewood splitting area today, having just finished stacking 35 wheelbarrows full of red oak into my woodshed. While knocking back the first beer after the work I heard a high-pitched screeching noise which snapped my attention to a pine tree less than 20 feet away. As I watched a Sharp-Shinned hawk blasted a BlueJay off a limb in the pines in an explosion of feathers and commotion as they fell to the ground. The barncat keeping me company as I sipped the beer instantly vamoosed under the parkerizing shed and refused to come back out for about 5 minutes until the hubbub had ceased (cats ain't stupid). What an awesome front-row seat!! I hate the bastard BlueJays anyway so I was thrilled to see one get his just desserts at a distance where I saw the feathers just explode off his rotten ass!!

Thanksgiving Day 2015 in the early AM just after sunrise. I'd snuck out of work to wash my truck at the coin-op carwash around the corner from the shop. For some reason there are always seagulls hanging out in the parking lot.
I'd gone to add some more quarters when this other guy who was outside cleaning junk out of his car calls out an exclamation and I heard a "SCREECH!" noise and some loud flopping.

Red-tail hawk had just gone and nailed him a seagull for breakfast. The gull was still flopping and the hawk was trying to fly away with it.
DAMN, Nature, you scary!

Had just finished unlocked the drivers side door to my truck when I heard a rustle right next to me. There was a bobcat, with a rabbit under its claws, not three feet from me. Made sure not to move very fast. Every time the rabbit started to move, could see the claws dig in even more. He stayed about two minutes, then took off with dinner in his jaws.

Sitting at a stop sign near home one day a few years ago and saw a sparrow(?) (I don't do bird ID unless they're metal and carry bombs and missiles) came around the corner like a bat out of hell, with a hawk of some sort right on his six.

Heard a thump on the right side of my jeep and saw the hawk in my rear view mirror staggering through the air, no sign of the sparrow. I can only assume the sparrow was able to turn tighter than the hawk and the hawk skidded into my jeep and was trying to shake off the impact.

Sweet!

I watch a merlin (a small falcon) go after starlings almost every day at work. I really want to grab a young sharp-shin and train it up one of these days, but small apartment and low wage job are not conducive to more than one falconry bird. The red-tail did grab a nice and fat rabbit yesterday though. Of course, it always has to be in the most ridiculously thick brush....

I've got one of these stories. On my first tour at Adak, me and two other ETs were headed for the airport terminal in a Sixpack to check a microwave link on the tower. As we approached the building, a large grey rat tried to cross the snow-covered road just ahead of us. Half-way across an eagle swooped down and snatched the rat and flapped away with the rat's tail swinging like a propeller. We were laughing so hard that we had to stop for a second to calm down.

The most numerous animal on the island were the Norway rats accidentally introduced by the Russians in the 1700's.

Mongolian using eagle to hunt wolves and Muslims

toad wrote:Mongolian using eagle to hunt wolves and Muslims

Why are you hating on wolves....?

These particular Mongols are primarily Reindeer herders. The adult reindeer are big ones and can defend themselves, the Mongols actually use the adult reindeer as riding animals, They don't have the speed or endurance of the steppe ponies. The reindeer calves are subject to predation by the wolves. The wolves are like Muslim in that they prey on the young and defenseless. At least the wolves don't try to screw the calves.

The head falconer for the Mongols found himself without an heir, since his sons weren't interested in the job. Then he realized that his daughter had been at his heels since she could walk. Now, the Mongols find themselves with a female head falconer, who is perfectly comfortable with Golden Eagles that weigh over 20 lbs., and can take down deer or wolves by themselves. And they've never heard of equal opportunity!