The Hunt: Combating Corvids and Covid

The hunt started when an eagle flying overhead spotted a vulnerable duck and sky dived to catch it with it sharp talons. The duck, a Barrow's goldeneye, winter here using the calm Deep Cove waters as its breeding ground.

The eagle hunted in pursuit of its next meal. They prefer to feed on fish or scavenger food but will prey on seabirds if the opportunity arises. Ironically this hunt broke out just as we sat to dinner in our home overlooking the 'Cove. We became spectators of the hunt that instantly transformed the normally calm water into a battlefield involving five species of birds; one bird of prey, two aquatics and two corvids.

The eagle’s hunt was not easy. It required numerous attacks.  Its first dives were unsuccessful as the duck would dive to protect itself under the water's surface. Each failed attack required the eagle to fly upward, regain altitude and circle waiting for another opportunity to attack.  

Seagulls appeared in large numbers and attempted to chase the eagle away.  While seagulls are independent hunters often stealing food from each other, they band together for protection if a hawk or an eagle attempts to single one of them out.  

An eagle is much larger than a seagull and seagulls are not well equipped for a fight. The eagle ignored the gulls as they took turns swooping past the eagle close enough to almost brush it perhaps trying to knock it off course and to be enough of a nuisance that the eagle might move on. 

The eagle persisted in its hunt. With each of its dives, the duck would counter with its own self preserving dive. The eagle must have tired as it flew to shore and landed in a big Douglas fir tree close to our house.  Its rest did not last long. Very soon after it took refuge, the call of a large raven could be heard as it landed noisily in the same tree. The raven is a bigger match for the eagle than the seagull and its presence was enough for the eagle to abort its rest and continue the hunt.  The raven flew after the eagle.  The seagulls again joined in pursuit of the eagle.

The entrance of the raven into the fray was enough to persuade several crows to engage. Ravens typically live and hunt at higher elevations in the nearby mountains leaving crows to forage in small groups, usually pairs, sharing space with human residents.   The crows chased the raven to defend their territory. Ravens are rarely sighted in the city and each time I've seen one, its flying away with crows in pursuit. Crows, like gulls, ducks and we humans know that there is strength in numbers.   

The eagle continued its hunt using its strength and agility to its advantage. On the last dive, it appeared to have caught its prey and the strong predator flew off to enjoy its meal. A close look at a photo taken during the battle confirmed its catch.

Calm soon returned to the ‘Cove as the raven also flew off into the distance returning to its place in the mountains. Crows went back to turning rocks over on the beach looking for small crabs. Gulls went back to searching the beach for starfish small enough to swallow whole. Ducks dived for fish seemingly undisturbed by the loss of one of their flock.  We returned to our dinner table.

It didn’t take long for the topic of the threat we currently face to resurface. Would the corona virus defeat us? Like the duck, our most vulnerable are the first to fall. Will the strong also fall victim? How many? If we gain control, how long will it take for normality to return?  Or a new normality to form. The answer to these questions lies in how well we band together.