Hawk

I had a wonderful conversation with a Blip-friend in the UK early this morning.   I can't believe our chat lasted over an hour.  Afterwards, I went out to feed the birds.  They we very happy about that and came from all over to have their breakfast.

Suddenly, I heard a giant thud.  It was the familiar sound of a bird flying into the glass door.  They usually get up right away and fly off.  But this dove just laid there, as if it was dead, but I knew that could not be true.  Out of nowhere, this Cooper's Hawk came flying in towards it and it took off in a panic.  The hawk missed.  However, in the melee, a finch was killed.right there on the patio.  Another dove was playing dead in the corner.

The hawk, which I believed to be a juvenile, stayed on the shepherd's hook for quite some time.  It then came down towards the patio.  I made noise to chase it away so it wouldn't find the hiding dove.  It would fly away but the dove stayed in the corner.  No birds came out to the feeder.  They knew the hawk was still in the area, even though I couldn't see it.  Eventually, birds came out.  The hawk apparently moved on and they felt safe.

It's  a fascinating thing to watch - the behavior of animals when their predator is close by.  But it's also a scary thing, especially if you're more fond of the prey than you are a fan of the predator!

The extra: Looking down towards the patio.