The Bossier banner., 1909-02-04
STRANGE BIRD DUEL.
Battle Between an Aggressive Hawk
and q Patient Heron.

Battle Between an Aggressive Hawk
and Patient Heron.
There Is apparently nothing In all
birdland that is weaker and more help
less against bird Of prey than the
common heron. With it's long sharp
bill 1t can punish worms and fish and
even administer sound punishment to
animals or beasts that come within the
range of the beak. But the bird is so
clumsy and its beak is SO long that it
seems as If almost any kind of a saw
age bird of prey could pounce down
upon it and seize it by the neck or
head.
Nevertheless the heron, like most
other creatures, has some means Of
defense which we do not always ap-
preciate. A few years ago while watch
ing a good size heron wading in the
water Of pond l was struck by its
peculiar actions. Cooking its head on
one side, 1t listened and glanced up
into the air and then trembled all over.
II 1t had taken fright at my appear
ance, why did it not fly away? Twas
wondering at this peculiar action when
suddenly a hawk, circling in the air
above. darted downward in one of its
swoops. The terror stricken heron in
stead Of flying away squatted down in
the water and looked up helplessly at
the descending hawk. But the hawk
Old not seize its prey. as l expected,
but made quick turn in the air and
started to attack the heron from the
other side. The latter merely turned
Its head around, always keeping its long
beak directed full toward the approach
Ing hawk. Once more the hawk few
upward and around and made another
effort to outflank the enemy.
These tactics on the hawks part
were kept up for some time, while the
heron sQuatted down and met the at
tacks with its beak always turned to-
ward the enemy. 1t seemed a mystery
to me why the hawk did not kill the
heron without SO much parleying Had
| been better instructed in the nature
OF the heron's beak and it's ability to
transfix an enemy with it would not
have thought so strange of the hawks
maneuvers. 1t had evidently been hurt
In such an encounter before, and it en-
deavored to worry the heron so that 1t
could be caught off its guard But
| after ten minutes of fighting it looked
| as II the hawk would be the first one
to get worn out with the bloodless
conflict. 1t grew fiercer and more
savage in its attacks, and finally it de-
termined to make the attack in ear
nest. Rising to considerable height,
as II intending to fly away, 1t suddenly
dropped as II shot from a cannon, hop
Ing to take the heron off it's guard by
the unexpected and swift descent But
the heron was once more prepared for
the conflict, and the terrible beak was
pointed upward to receive the descend
ing bird. The hawk realized its danger
at the last moment and tried to check
its headway, but its momentum was
too great. and it plunged downward,
but little to one side, until it struck
the spear-like beak ready to receive it
Fortunately for hawk and heron. the
beak merely grazed the side of the
hawks body, ripping out handful OF
feathers and inf1icting slight flesh
wound. The hawk then tumbled with
splash into the water, and before II
4 could regain its equilibrium again tht
heron had flown away. The hawl
showed no particular desire to pursue
its prey and tapped heavily to near
by tree and sat there for an hour think
ing the matter over.-George Ethelber
Walsh in Outing Magazine.