Peregrine Falcon Tangles with Bald Eagle!

Peregrine Falcon

Yesterday we saw one of the most spectacular Peregrine Falcon encounters we ever had at J.N.Ding Darling NWR. A Peregrine Falcon was sitting on a sandbar on pond 2 eating what we think was a Laughing Gull, when it then flew with its prey and dropped it, oops! Then in comes a subadult Bald Eagle and the Peregrine goes after the eagle, then attempts to unsuccessfully pick up the prey. Hot in pursuit of the eagle the Peregrine dives at it again. Meanwhile the prey has just about sunk below the surface of the water. The Peregrine then gives up, flys over our head and the eagle goes back to the original sandbar and, scavenger that is sometimes is, eats the spoils - the entrails of the gull! Amazing!