I have a nature question for you all. I recently aquired a specimen of a young woodpecker (nearly adult) donated to the cause. My friend was walking through the woods when she heard a large bird like upset in the trees. Then she saw a bird of prey fly to the stream with "woodie" still in its talons and try to drown him. Woodie of course died but the bird of prey flew off empty clawed.
What bird of prey is likely to be that shows such drowning killing instincts? (I assume that the UK birds here will be the same as the US ones). Your responses will be much apprieciated.
Kindest regards
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just very few years ago I saw one grackle drown another in a puddle of water. The pair had been fighting, and I mean fighting with a passion, and had worked their fight towards the puddle. The puddle was shallow enough the birds could stand up in it and the water wasn't but up to their breasts. The "killer" bird wound up clutching the head and neck of the "drownee" and held it under water. That performance of nature and reasoning really surprised me. Really more like shocked.
Raccoons will also hold a dog's head under water to drown it.
There's a couple to add to your post. Maybe some more observations will come along.
How could a raccoon hold a dogs head under water, do you mean like a coyote or a domesticated dog?
I couldn't help that one. Matt, all kidding aside, around this neck of the woods we have a lot of creeks, and the creek bottoms can't be tamed by agriculture or housing developements. This leaves them to let nature take it's course, providing habitat, however minimal.
A lot of the guys around here try to avoid coon hunting near creek sections that are known to have deeper pockets. A wise coon might take to the water just as quick as it would to a tree. A single hound could be in trouble. The coon with the shorter wheel base can navigate the water a lot easier than the hound, and they can climb up on the dog's head. A dog can only dog paddle for so long with it's head held under water.