Wednesday, April 13, 2016

gone batty!

In my first time witnessing the shocking act, a RED-TAILED HAWK did something out of the ordinary. It snatched a bat!

After work on my usual birding walk, I took in the Pools backwater tour. A flying bat my presumption RED BAT as this is the diurnal species even though it was hard to detect color of the high flying mammal, was feeding upon insects above the Upper Pool.I watched the bat for several moments trying to determine the species. Suddenly out of nowhere from the ridge behind me, a RED TAILED HAWK swooped in and swiped at the bat.I thought the bat escaped. But I didn't see it anywhere after the hawk attack. I think the hawk snatched the bat! Geez, talk about airspace superiority.

In other news for this quiet day ,some reports of birds in Prospect. Linda Ewing reported WHITE EYED VIREO on Lookout Hill middle south slope. The RED THROATED LOON continues as usual but speculation arose there may be something wrong with its right eye. It was seen closed or missing from close up photos. If so on the eye injury or defect, it may explain the loons long presence here. Upper pool had some RUBY CROWNED KINGLETs and single HERMIT THRUSH and PALM WARBLER.WOOD DUCKS,3 I saw,were in the pond.