Hawk vs Duck.....

[k22fan]

Per post #14;

Well, some say that thing is a duck but if you ever tried to eat one
you will quickly learn that they are the skum of the eart and actually
feed on the trout that are planted at the local ponds for our childrens enjoyment.
They need to be shipped back to Aisa or have a bounty on their heads.

Merganzers............... yuck.

Most of the time, or at least very often, I have two kinds of mergansers out front, common mergansers and hooded mergansers. The two ducks being "harassed" by the seagulls obviously are not hooded mergansers and I"m 90% sure their lack of Mohawk feathers eliminates them being common merganser hens.

Daily I see a variety of ducks, surf scooters and seagulls intermixed in the same small area. I never see one type harassing the other. The ducks dive for their meals. The seagulls scratch out clams to carry aloft then drop and eat off the beach surface. I don't see them competing with the ducks for the same foods. The exception is crows but they're another story.

 

[6518John]

Common Merganser hens with tuft's slicked back/down ducking the gulls.

 

[hemiram]

When I worked in downtown Toledo about 21 years ago, there were a few Peregrine Falcons living there and every nest had at least one chick in it, and so the adults were on the hunt all day. One morning about 730, a coworker was coming across the street, and one of the Falcon's nailed a Pigeon that was flying about 20 feet up and it basically exploded and she was showered in guts and feathers. She started screaming, "OMG, what was that?". I told her what happened, and she ended up going back home for a shower and change of clothes. After that, she was totally paranoid about walking outside. The pack of feral dogs didn't scare her, the Raccoons that were running around all night getting into dumpsters was no big deal, but the Falcons hunting other birds in broad daylight terrified her.

 

[Chik a Boom]

Yes sir. Definitely a Red Tail Hawk. I work at a local Park and they are all over the place, along with turkeys, ducks, geese, turtles of different kinds, fox, whistle pigs, squirrels, etc. I get some pretty cool pics with my phone.

What's a whistle pig? The rest I recognize.

Nice pictures, by the way.

 

[6518John]

What's a whistle pig?

Our favorite bluegrass band! Also a groundhog.

 

[Sistema1927]

I was enjoying my 2nd cup of coffee one early spring morning a couple of years ago. As I looked out toward my bird bath, there perched the first Robin of spring. A moment later there was a flash of feathers, and poor cock Robin was no more.

 

[Eric300]

What's a whistle pig? The rest I recognize.

Nice pictures, by the way.

Our favorite bluegrass band! Also a groundhog.

Affirmative. A great Blue Grass Band, a Ground Hog, and, some damn fine rye whisky!

Oh yeah, also the name of a company that makes Ruger 10-22 barrels.

But, I was referring to a Ground Hog. Also known as a Woodchuck, and Land Beaver. The name 'Whistle Pig' comes from the noise they make when calling. The name 'Land Beaver' comes from their habitat and behavior (gnawing on wood). Whatever you call them, they are big brown rodents, and actually quite tasty when prepared properly in a crock pot.

 

[Kinman]

Red tails are very common where I live, I saw one just the other day low over the house, I gave a high pitched whistle...he turned and circled over the house treating me to a background sun through his red feathers, brilliant display. I love all the hawks and appreciate them for the pinnacle of evolutionary product they represent....self sustained flight.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[Golddollar]

But, I was referring to a Ground Hog. Also known as a Woodchuck, and Land Beaver.

And a sacred animal in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

 

[Kinman]

I was enjoying my 2nd cup of coffee one early spring morning a couple of years ago. As I looked out toward my bird bath, there perched the first Robin of spring. A moment later there was a flash of feathers, and poor cock Robin was no more.

More than likely the work of a falcon, Peregrines are notorious bird killers. They have installed mated pairs in areas of high pigeon populations, after the pair raised a new brood and fed off the pigeons and established new territory there was no longer a problem with pigeons. I had a good friend that raised pigeons and of course hated falcons and hawks, I had to admit that it was mesmorizing to watch his pigeons in flight.
A couple years ago on one of my walks I was about a block from home and noticed a dark silouette in a nearby tree, he allowed me to get close enough to identify a Peregrine falcon. It was a cold January day and I wondered what he was feeding off of and I remembered the California Quail that were introduced years ago, which explained the odd pile of feathers I would see on my walks. Not to mention the trash doves that were also integrated into the ecosystem, Rock doves look like a Mourning dove on steroids...good riddance to any of them.

 

[Chik a Boom]

Thanks for all the informative replies on a whistle pig. Am now enlightened.

The whiskey looks kind of interesting...more so than the thought of a ground hog in my crock pot.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Thanks for all the informative replies on a whistle pig. Am now enlightened.

The whiskey looks kind of interesting...more so than the thought of a ground hog in my crock pot.

If you've never tried Rye you ought to. An acquired taste for sure, like scotch. You either love it or hare it.
As far as Hawks-I can't tell you how many ducks I've shot only to have a hawk eat the breast out of them. Oh well,,,,,they gotta eat too.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Most of the time, or at least very often, I have two kinds of mergansers out front, common mergansers and hooded mergansers. The two ducks being "harassed" by the seagulls obviously are not hooded mergansers and I"m 90% sure their lack of Mohawk feathers eliminates them being common merganser hens.

Daily I see a variety of ducks, surf scooters and seagulls intermixed in the same small area. I never see one type harassing the other. The ducks dive for their meals. The seagulls scratch out clams to carry aloft then drop and eat off the beach surface. I don't see them competing with the ducks for the same foods. The exception is crows but they're another story.

Yes, Real Ducks dive for their food...................
but they don't come up with a fish in their bills.

Ocean birds like Brant also dive for food , in our salt water areas but most ducks feed on grass, weeds, grains and seeds, bugs & snails.