Thread: falcon having a go

Yeah - I had to look up 'Pengy's' Russian Steppe Eagle, a new one to me. They're a big bird and remind me of a photo I saw of a 'hunted' Harrier chasing down a pukeko. That bird had some 'curry' on and was right up the pukeko's arse and you didn't have to see the 'finale' to imagine the result. That photo was a surprise to me I'd seen one fly into a tree and fall in a tangle onto the ground after we scared it off a roadkill while driving into town. We turned a ninety degree bend and ended up driving parallel and the hawk was watching us rather than where it was going. My daughter had jumped the fence and got to the hawk, then hesitated as it gathered itself and took off.
"You just stood there."
"It was a big bird dad."

My other experience was working on my boat as it was parked up in the rushes on Lake Tarawera. I heard a 'bang' as something clouted my boat and looked up to see a pukeko grappling with a harrier arc over the bow entwined, the pook upside-down and driving the hawk forward with outstretched legs. By the time I got my head over the side the pook was going back to where he came from leaving the harrier spread out in the bullrushes. That bird slowly got himself together, then took off to survey the surroundings as though nothing had happened.
I can only assume the hawk had a go at a pukeko chick and the mum had objected ............