Last evening I was sitting in my back yard, which is largely a wooded area, and heard a Red Tail Hawk screeching. It's a sound I hear frequently, usually as they soar high above. But this sounded very close. I started walking toward the large dead tree I thought it was in. When the screeches moved, I realized it was a Blue Jay imitating a hawk. Then it landed right in front of me.
An Eastern Wood Pewee that had been calling its usual "pee-a-wee" song suddenly seemed to get louder, more urgent. In no time at all, there was quite a flutter in the tree. The Pewee was dive-bombing the Blue Jay. Then a second Pewee appeared out of nowhere and joined in the mobbing. They repeatedly attacked the Blue jay, coming VERY close to it. I could hear the loud snap of their beaks as they swooped past it. Then I heard a third Pewee in a nearby tree, continuing the alarm calls, while the other two harassed the Blue Jay. It wasn't long before the Blue Jay had had enough and took off. I've enjoyed Pewees in my yard all summer, perhaps they nested nearby. Clearly, just like crows mob a hawk, these little guys were attacking a threatening intruder. I'm convinced it has something to do with the Blue Jay's hawk screeches, because they had been peacefully co-existing in my yard. This Pewee behavior was very much a surprise to me, and quite a sight! Barbara CliseKing Ferry, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
