Backyard Mexican Standoff
Like something out of a Tarantino movie
Overview - bad timing on the sapsucker's (underneath the pole feeder, lower center) part as a Sharp Shin (upper center in the oak) decides to pay a visit
predator
prey
the woodpecker didn't move for about 5 minutes until it was "saved" by the interloper
a Cooper that decided to horn in on the Sharp Shin's breakfast. Woodie got away; did find some blue jay feathers back by the feeders (must have been an earlier Cooper kill).
Regards,
Scott
May have mis-ID'd the first hawk; rounded tail usually means a Cooper; probably a male in this case since the second one was a lot bigger. My confusion was because there were a number of cardinals/jays hopping around in the adjacent trees in the first pic - they don't usually seem to care when Sharps are around; when Coopers show up things get very quiet.
Regards,
Scott
I have a Northern Goshawk that likes to visit my backyard every now and then, looking rather hungrily at all the smaller birds in the area.
Larry ---sagefisher---
had to give away our feeder when rats became a problem. neighbor took it.
couple weeks later he told us that occasionally there would be a huge ruckus outdoors amongst the English Sparrows near the feeder. turned out the local Red-Tail was raiding, and taking his prey home to the adjacent bamboo thicket.
neighbor wasn't sure how to feel about running a Hawk Delicatessen...
fly fishing and baseball share a totally deceptive simplicity; that's why they can both be lifelong pursuits.
First time we witnessed a kill in the back yard, the kids freaked out, especially when the hawk sat on a tree limb and meticulously plucked all the feathers from the luckless house finch. I tried to explain to them it's all part of Nature (great circle of life and all that), but they were 6 and 4 at the time and didn't see it that way. As time passed, they'd still say "ick" on occasion, but they also learned to appreciate the skill involved (since the hawks were only successful about 20% of the time).
Regards,
Scott
Almost hawk food!
Several years ago I decided to get close to the small birds at the back yard feeder and try to get some really good close up shots when they were on the ground. Dressed up in total camo, pants, shirt, hat and even a light weight face mask. Worked my way up a slight rise and was laying flat on my stomach with just my head and camera above the edge of the flat ground. Suddenly heard a sort of whistling sound and all the birds flushed all at once. Unfortunately it happened so fast I didn't get to snap a photo. In the next split second a big hawk hit the ground not but about two feet in front of my head and bounced up in the air after missing his prey. Again all this was too fast and startling to get a photo. At that point I was just thanking my lucky stars that the hawk didn't take a fancy to any of my bodily parts, especially my head even with the hat on.
Some days you gets the bear, some days the bear gets you.
Larry ---sagefisher---
Watched a peregrine SMASH a dove in the neighbors yard about 6 months ago. Explosion of feathers.
"Trust, but verify" - Russian Proverb, as used by Ronald Reagan
we have red tails and peregrines around work. one day last January the Red tail decided that squirrel sounded good for lunch. Right in the middle of the snow covered courtyard between class rooms and the all girls dorm. the snow looked like a crime scene. a few weeks later the peregrine hung out in the Ginko tree for about 3 hours watching the kids go between classes. not more than 10 feet away. most never even noticed it there. too busy with their phones.
We've had a Cooper hanging out in the neighborhood. popped a vole out of my back yard. Thanks Cooper.
The only things we permanently keep, are those we give away-Waite Philips
While living in Dayton Beach, there was a nesting pair of Osprey in my neighborhood, it was great watching them catch fish from the retention pond in front of my apartment. Best fishers I've ever seen.
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