> > Can you describe what you saw the eagles doing? You may have been lucky > > enough to witness some aerial courtship in which the eagles descend in > > series of somersaults and sometimes lock talons. It's quite spectacular. > > Karen > Any of the real "birders" on the list (I'm just a dabbler, as it were), want to confirm or correct my hazy memory: I believe I remember reading somewhere that eagles (or it may have been some other birds of prey) not only court in the air but have been known to consumate the courtship by flying up to maximum altitude, and achieving congress during freefall. Talk about your mile-high club. Makes using airplane washrooms seem really wimpy. So, true or flase? - perspiring minds want to know. Philip Torrens N49°16' W123°06' *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Philip Torrens wrote: > >Any of the real "birders" on the list (I'm just a dabbler, as it were), want >to confirm or correct my hazy memory: >I believe I remember reading somewhere that eagles (or it may have been some >other birds of prey) not only court in the air but have been known to >consumate the courtship by flying up to maximum altitude, and achieving >congress during freefall. Talk about your mile-high club. Makes using >airplane washrooms seem really wimpy. So, true or flase? - perspiring minds >want to know. > According to The Birder's Handbook, Paul R. Ehrlich et. al., 1988, p. 220, Bald Eagles have "Spectacular aerial courtship, incl locking talons and descending in series of somersaults." However, I don't believe they actually copulate in the air. However, according to Ehrlich p. 319, "Among the most spectacular sights North American bird enthusiasts can see is a mating flight of White-throated Swifts. A group may come swooping down a canyon at high speed, shortly after dawn, with pairs tumbling together as they copulate in midair." I also thought that Frigatebirds copulated in air but I couldn't find a reference. I may be wrong on this. Tony Niilus (a birder) Upland, CA and on p. 319 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Niilus_at_aol.com wrote: > According to The Birder's Handbook, Paul R. Ehrlich et. al., 1988, p. 220, > Bald Eagles have "Spectacular aerial courtship, incl locking talons and > descending in series of somersaults." However, I don't believe they > actually copulate in the air. > > However, according to Ehrlich p. 319, "Among the most spectacular sights > North American bird enthusiasts can see is a mating flight of White-throated > Swifts. A group may come swooping down a canyon at high speed, shortly after > dawn, with pairs tumbling together as they copulate in midair." The eagles around here definitely do it in the air. Sometimes it looks like they will surely crash to the ground. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 11/15/1999 5:51:17 PM Pacific Standard Time, dkruger_at_pacifier.com writes: << The eagles around here definitely do it in the air. Sometimes it looks like they will surely crash to the ground. >> What, no jokes about the mile high club? I am so disappointed! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> I also thought that Frigatebirds copulated in air but I couldn't find a > reference. I may be wrong on this. > For some loose reference to the correct outfitting threads, the frigate bird cannot fly with wet wings. All the fish they eat are stolen from other birds, generally in flight (this may have some relevance to the macho thread too). I am working on a tiny pfd that will allow big wing movements... -- : : Gabriel L Romeu : http://studiofurniture.com furniture from the workshop : http://members.xoom.com/gabrielR life as a tourist, daily journal : http://users.aol.com/romeugp paintings, photographs, etchings, objects *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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