By STEVE GILLILAND
Exploring Kansas Outdoors
One October a few years ago, I watched a large number of hawks following combines through a soybean field, snatching up rodents kicked out of hiding by the machines as they lumbered through the fields. The dictionary defines symbiotic (symbiosis) as “The living together of two kinds of organisms to their mutual advantage.” Maybe “symbiotic” is not quite the right word to describe the above scenario, but you have to admit there are times where animals and birds use human activities to their advantage.
For example, years ago I had some peacocks. Any of you who presently own or have ever owned peacocks will agree with me that they can be a real pain in the butt, but while I had those pesky fowl, I had gardens that were absolutely insect-free. They would follow me when I mowed the lawn, back a few feet and on the side of the mower where the grass was discharged, and would turn themselves inside out to be the first to snatch a bug shot out from the mower, especially those big green hoppers I called “katydids.” Symbiotic or not, they knew that when the lawn mower was pushed across the yard, snacks would come their way.
Awhile back, we stopped to see a friend at a business on a side street smack in the middle of downtown Hutchinson. As we pulled into the parking lot, the large dumpster for the business sat straight ahead of us inside a four-sided enclosure, and perched on the back corner of the enclosure was what appeared to be a hawk decoy, put there to ward off pigeons I presumed. As I stared at the decoy, it swiveled its head around and stared back at me; it was a mature red tailed hawk with a squirrel held firmly in its talons. I was slightly surprised to see a red-tailed hawk in downtown Hutchinson, and since there were no houses or trees for several blocks around, I was really puzzled as to where the hawk had managed to snag the squirrel.
Our friend there was not surprised to hear about the hawk and added some details that explained where the hawk had likely found the squirrel. The business is very near the railroad, and that time of the year, he said there always seemed to be dabs of grain strewn along the tracks, evidently from rail cars moving wheat, soybeans, corn and milo. Pigeons, squirrels and birds came from all over that part
of town to feast on the grain, making for a virtual smorgasbord for stealthy predators like the hawk. He told us he once observed a hawk catch a pigeon nearby as it snacked on the grain. Again, maybe this is not really a true symbiotic relationship, but the squirrels and pigeons knew the grain would be there, and the predators knew the pigeons and squirrels will be there too, all thanks to man.
Just like domestic livestock quickly becoming familiar when chores are done each day and they are fed, the above scenarios can also be repeated over and over again in the wild. Wildlife not only relies on nature for survival, it also learns when help is available, inadvertently or not, from man too.
Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].