Wednesday, July 21, 2010 |
11:42 - Suburban symbiosis
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We used to have a problem with a variety of birds that would persistently build nests in the rafters right above where a car would usefully be parked, with predictable results.
They were quite stubborn. No matter how many times their nests got washed away with high-pressure hose water, they'd just sit in the trees across the clearing and sulk for a little while, then come back as soon as the coast was clear and rebuild it.
Well, it hasn't been much of a problem in the last month or so, ever since a family of eagles moved in.
I say "family" because I'm pretty sure there's at least three of them, though I generally only see two at once. They roam all around the neighborhood, hulking on power lines and tree branches and swooping low across the road with nary a care for cars or humans. They have a distinctive call that they seem to use for great effect in short bursts of communication.
And they've taken to keeping the backyard completely clear of interloper birds. The other day I was walking across the lawn to the driveway when suddenly the trees across the creek exploded in a mass of blackbirds that frantically flew off in every direction; spinning around I saw two eagles gliding low across the lawn behind me, one of them carrying a bird it had just nabbed.
They hunt in concert, but then go all NOT YOURS CANT HAVE. You know, every relationship requires communication.
Still, they've got their schtick down pat. Replete with gloating, just like kookaburras.
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