A week or so ago, I watched some Tree Swallows bully an Eagle. Ok, that makes sense, an eagle would happily eat a swallow chick, so clearly it must be vanquished.
But, what about a heron?
Today, I watched some Tree Swallows mercilessly attack a Great Blue Heron. It was not the same group of swallows as I had watched the last time. Further, a heron is not partial to eating swallows. Yet, the attack was relentless.
Unlike in the case of the eagle bullying, the heron did not retreat—well, at least it did not retreat before I had retreated. For once the swallows spotted me watching from the shore, the attack shifted. Now, the swallows set to driving me off. They succeeded: I slunk away.
One of the many Tree Swallows dives at a Great Blue Heron in an attempt to drive it away from their nests.
Oh, I love this picture!!
Is a pack of swallows known as a ‘gulp’?
Dave, or a a chugalug of swallows…