Old 07-12-2015, 10:10 AM
  # 292 (permalink)  
biminiblue
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Oh, are we talking about birds? *jump*jump

Yesterday I saw what is an ongoing feud at the top of the food chain of raptors. In the weeks to come it will become even more dramatic. The Osprey family and the Bald Eagle family at my beach have an uncomfortable relationship. I suspect there is far more to it than I've been able to view in my few hours a week at the beach.

In the past, I've witnessed spectacular aerial combat/thievery. The eagles will wait until the Osprey has worked hard to catch a fish, then go after it in flight. The Osprey is more agile and maneuverable in flight and expends less energy so it's about a 50/50 chance of the eagles getting the fish. I've seen two eagles gang up on the Osprey though. That nearly always ends in the Osprey releasing its prey in flight, and the eagles nabbing it. I talked about it with the zookeepers and it's called clepto-parasitism.





Anyway, so yesterday I saw the Osprey chasing a juvenile eagle and dive-bombing it and "yelling" at it. I know the Osprey has young, I've seen the frenetic hunting the last few days...so I imagine the eagles take some chicks and the Osprey doesn't want the eagle around - but whatcha gonna do? The eagle was flying in the direction of the Osprey nest - so - I couldn't see what happened.
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