Peregrine, Blackbacks, Pintail 3-3-06

Spectacular sequence at the North Dike this morning. Adult peregrine attacked a pintail duck and wounded or at least discombobulated it. But the falcon (male?) was too small apparently to finish off the duck. Two great black-backs swooped in and over the next 15 minutes drowned the duck and eventually ate it, while the peregrine had to stand by and try to claim some prey himself. All happened too far from my camera to get sharp pix, but these show the basic situation.