Combat in a rainy sky!

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A Pied Crow was harassing a Harrier Hawk in flight.
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The crow wanted the hawk to change direction and get out of his territory.

Who says that one cannot take photos in the rain? The hawk was cruising high up over a crow's territory and the crow did not wait for backup as he went up there alone. Reminded me of our Harry, as he also fights his battles alone in the sky.
Come and watch this battle.

Yes, they were high up, but I recognised the difference in their wingspans instantly and extended the zoom.
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People in the parking lot of the shopping center also started looking up and they must have thought that I was mad, as they saw nothing.
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Cleverly the crow attacked from above, but the hawk was watching him.
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In and out the crow flew while he harassed the hawk.
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Going also ahead of the hawk he attacked from the sides, but never from the front, as he knows how dangerous the hawk's beak is.
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Here the crow swiped in from the side of the hawk.
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And then from above and behind again.
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I think the hawk said something to the crow here, maybe something like "Cheers mate".
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But the crow wouldn't let up and they disappeared from my sight.
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Now for something else.

Many think that Sparrows are only little seed eaters.

Think again as this sparrow caught a gecko lizard.
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Shaking his catch ferociously to make sure that it's dead before flying off and taking it home for supper.
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No, there was no direct contact between the crow and the hawk, as then they would have tumbled out of the sky, but the crow only wanted the hawk to know he was around and that it was his territory.
Shame Marian felt bad about the little gecko that the sparrow caught, but that is just the way of nature as everyone has to eat.
Such is life methinks.

And That's All Friends!

Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60HS Bridge camera.

Thank you kindly for supporting a post on behalf of @papilloncharity

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38 comments
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Wow, a sight to see!
They were just playing.
Poor Geiko!
I, too, feel bad...

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The crow and rhe hawk are sworn enemies and they hate each other my friend.
Nature has a way of showing us the hard truth and we just have to accept all aspects of it.
Real life is very similar, but many of us live in denials.

!BEER

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Real-life can be cruel.
I've had my share.
But I continue on,
and make the best of everything,
and shielding myself from
disappointment.
So far, so good!

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A lovely and true poem to state all things as it should be.

Your prize for this masterpiece is a !BEER

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Crows are brave birds, but I don't think it would have had a chance in a real fight, although the hawk would have had to fight hard to win.

As far as I know, sparrows eat everything. That's my experience from visits in restaurants or parks where they were around and picked all up that looked like food :)

!BEER and !WINE - both make a nice dinner with !PIZZA :)
!invest_vote

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Normally there is 4 to 5 crows surrounding the hawk, but every now and then I see only one up there.
Yes, it will not be an easy fight methinks.

Mine too, but I have never seen a sparrow taking live prey before. In fact it was a first for me to see a sparrow taking a lizard.

Cheers and thanks.

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I have seen Sparrows catching and eating worms if that counts as live prey 😁

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

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Yeah, they will eat anything, but I was surprised to see a Sparrow taking a live gecko.
A first for me.

Cheers and thanks.

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Of course I also haven't seen a Sparrow eating a Gecko ... I also have never seen a Gecko in nature neither 😁

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

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Hahaha, I feel so sorry for you and I suppose that you have never seen a Pangolin, or many of our other African wonders. Time for you to put a visit to Africa on you bucket list methinks.

Cheers and thanks.

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No, I haven't seen a Pangolin in real life, but I know these cute looking animals. A Pangolin should have been responsible for the outbreak of the Pandemic in China.
Oh yes, Africa is also on my bucket list. There are some areas I would love to see ... and an old jetty in South Africa 😁

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

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What a great idea my friend as then they would stop trading in Pangolins and they would be safe.
As it is, Pangolins will soon be extinct.

They caught 4 rhino poachers in one of our national parks today. One was killed as he fired at the rangers and the other 3 ran away, but the rangers followed them with tracker dogs and arrested them.
The poachers had a high powered rifle and their horn stripping equipment with them.

So when you come, please remember not to leave your long focus lens at home.
Mind you, I think you might forget your whole camera bag at home, but don't worry, as I will lend you mine 🤣🤣🤣

Cheers and thanks.

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Haven't you read it in the newspaper or seen articles in the internet? I was not joking. They said the virus came from the bats to the pangolins and on a market the virus jumped over to people ... or so. I think they have forbidden to sell the Pangolins in China, but I'm not sure.

I don't understand the people who kill animals just for their horns. Obviously it's for the money, but I still don't understand it.

I think I'll take my own lens with me, because it suits on my camera 🤣

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

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Yes I know that Hannes.
I maintain that the virus was manufactured in a laboroty and that it never orignated from any animal.
The pangolins are still disappearing at a steady rate over here.

They believe that horn powder can help them in the bedroom to perform my friend.
So a beautiful wild animal must pay with his life to make some klutz happy in the bedroom.
This world is really mad.

Cheers and thanks!

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There are many rumors and conspiracy theories. Maybe there's a little bit of truth in some, but I wouldn't say it loud unless I had proof, but all in all I have about the same opinion as you ;)

I have my own horns, you know? And I can tell you they work 🐐😎

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

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Yes, where there is smoke, there is always a fire my friend.
Maybe 50 years from now the real truth will emerge, as you know that the truth cannot be hidden.

Hahaha, yes, you have the blessings of two horns and a mountaing goat doesn't need any rhino horn to perform 😜

Cheers and thanks.

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Or maybe the truth will be a secret forever - I don't know if we should know it.

😁😉

!BEER and !PIZZA - nice 😃
!invest_vote

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You may very well be right Hannes, as when and if the real truth emerges there will be unimaginable consequences 😭

Cheers and thanks.

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Who knows, some things are not meant to be known.

!BEER and !PIZZA - nice 😃

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Yes, you are right, as we know that everything is known in the heavens.

Cheers and thanks.

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Oh, the birds are very territorial. Very well spotted battle in the sky.
Funny enough, it happened always with us, when hubby and I stare at the sky and point our cameras. People stopped next and looked up and asked what we see. I am pleased to see some of my neighbours while walking their dogs began to watch the sky when we told them how many birds could be spotted.

I was surprised to capture sparrow eating mantis, but gecko, that is more surprising.

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(Edited)

Hahaha, what you guys accept as the norm astound others when they see what you see in the skies.
Sad to see so many that never look up at the sky except when they are outside and it rains lol.
I call it the wake up times, as I am sure that you also heard the gasps when they see that your camera was aimed at an eagle or such.

My first also to see a sparrow taking a gecko. We have many geckos here that they call the Cape Dwarf gecko and that was one of them.

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That battle of birds never ceases to amaze me. Size certainly doesn't matter! Although you know from a farming point of view I don't like crows so I cheer on the hawk!

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Well you will sing another tune when that Harrier hawk arrives at your sunbird nest my friend God forbid.
You will have to watch those little ones with an eagle eye.
I do the same with our little Double-collared sunbirds here.

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Holy cow! Had never seen a sparrow with prey! 😳 Great captures you have there.

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Thank you and it was also a first for me to see a sparrow taking a gecko.
Glad that you liked the captures.

!BEER

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