Peregrines and peewees

A pair of peewees hang around the back yard from time to time.  I suspect they nest close by, maybe in the massive pine tree that grows up against the back of the house and seems to provide nesting for a lot of birds.
I was hanging out the clothes on the back veranda the other morning when the entire bird population began making a terrible fuss.
Then a peregrine falcon shot down into the leaf litter under the mango tree.  They are so fast I wasn't even sure it was a peregrine until I saw her standing under the tree.  Her feathers were all flattened and she held her wings out as birds do when they are stressed.  Even from the 15 metres I was away from her I could see she was panting.  I avoided looking directly at her so as not to increase her stress.
When I peeked again I saw she had settled down.  Other predatory birds were wheeling around in the sky - another peregrine - perhaps her mate, a few crows, a hawk up high.  So I looked closely at the peregrine and saw that she had something in her claws, half buried in the leaf litter.  It was a young peewee.
Years ago I saw a peregrine take a baby dove as its parents were teaching it to fly and I suspect the same thing happened with the peewee.
I can not help but be impressed by the strength and speed of peregrines.  A peewee is quite a decent size for the falcon to catch, although they are reputed to catch rabbits in southern Australia.  Peregrines grab their prey while flying at about 300 kms an hour so I guess the victim never knows what hit it.
I missed a great photo opportunity as the peregrine took ages to ready herself to fly off with her prey.  She lifted off the ground quite slowly but then was gone in a flash.  There was dead silence from the bird population for the rest of the morning.  I have not seen the adult peewees since.  Hopefully they are busy re-locating their nest.
Claire Wood
Just Claire Wood
email:  JustClaireWood@gmail.com
longlines, In The Atmosphere
27th May 2012