Falcon Watch 3/9/14 (4pm to 7 pm) Arrived downtown at 4 and on the way into downtown, noticed M&M on a old smokestack several blocks south of downtown. When Mo showed up at the nestbox, it was from that direction, followed by Mystic... (See previous "nestbox bonding" album). After their bonding both had went to the Huntington antennae/letters. They sat there and around 4:45 a mourning dove flew past the Canton Club building, in the direction of M&M. From my position on the garage roof, I first saw Mo drop, followed by Mystic. What I WASN'T ready for was to be used as a shield by the dove!!! The dove flew back towards ME, followed by Mo and Mystic. The dove went under me to get underneath my truck, as Mo flew past the end of my camera... In my periphrial vision I could see wings...BIG wings, and brought the camera around to behind me..M&M circled, Mo going up, and Mystic coming back toward the truck, flying past me....while Mo headed out for pigeons. Mystic cruised back past me again...and she flew back to the Huntington antennae...The dove flew out from under the truck to the concrete railing edge, by where I was parked..and it froze...I was able to walk up to it, and it never moved, it was transfixed on Mystic.. Mo had landed on the Key building sign..and I sat down, put the camera down, because I was shaking from the encounter. Only a few minutes later, Mo came over towards the Huntington building, and as he got close, Mystic launched off toward the dove...she came across the First Ladies building..and right at the dove..swiping at it, knocking it from the concrete rail...It fluttered back up and Mo swung at it next..it appeared to fall off the edge and all birds disappeared down below my sight...I moved over to the edge, and saw M&M rising up at the far end of the garage. They circled the outskirt of the entire garage. I am guessing the dove went into one of the lower floors of the garage... M&M ended up flying up to the east side of the CC...From there they took off on separate hunts...one of them soared up until becoming a dot that I lost track of. A half hour later there was Mo, with Mystic in pursuit of him...both were wailing like banshee's...She chased him to the PB anteannae, then he flew over to the CC...She flew over towards the Huntington...then banked hard back toward MO...She grabbed at the prey, and it appeared to rip apart, and she took the bigger part over to the Huntington...He finished the smaller part, then went over to join her at the Huntington...That is where I left them, at 7 pm....
(Pics on the FB Page)
Chad
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Will be loading series of pics on the FB page later today!!
That would have to be unnerving to have them flying towards you. 
Great story & great pictures--thanks for sharing them!
