This fine looking fellow pitched up in the back garden this morning. Understandably, most all the smaller birds made a quick exit, and he just sat there for five minutes or more, doubtless feeling hungry, cheated, and not tempted by the peanuts & seeds which attract his intended quarry.
After a while, a sparrow, unaware of his presence, flew in and was attacked at once, but managed to escape through some dense branches. Without such luck, the sparrow would have been unceremoniously & calmly eaten on some convenient perch nearby; it's happened before.
♫ Hawks - Tigers Can Bite
Taking & Running Away EP (2008)
myspace | buy
♫ Little Bird
If you know who sings this, please tell me - I picked it up somewhere in December, & it's not tagged.
♫ Bird of Prey - Jim Morrison
An American Prayer (1995 remaster)
buy
After a while, a sparrow, unaware of his presence, flew in and was attacked at once, but managed to escape through some dense branches. Without such luck, the sparrow would have been unceremoniously & calmly eaten on some convenient perch nearby; it's happened before.
♫ Hawks - Tigers Can Bite
Taking & Running Away EP (2008)
myspace | buy
♫ Little Bird
If you know who sings this, please tell me - I picked it up somewhere in December, & it's not tagged.
♫ Bird of Prey - Jim Morrison
An American Prayer (1995 remaster)
buy
The Cooper's hawk that frequents my backyard makes me so angry. Why does it have to eat other birds even as evil squirrels fearlessly taunt it?
ReplyDeletewww.therestandstheglass.com
What is it ?
ReplyDeleteExcuse my ignorance, HM. I just don't recognise it.
ib - it's a sparrowhawk.
ReplyDeletephoto-wise, I was the lucky one - he sat for several minutes with his back to me, facing away; then turned & struck the pose you see.
@Happy in Bag - i understand, it isn't fun to see - usually it's birds (magpies here) taunting squirrels & rats.
I wasn't sure. I've never seen one so still and so close - or the topside of its feathers.
ReplyDeleteI remain ambivalent. As a cat lover, I long ago gave up on worrying too much about predatory behaviour. But these bastards do (?) do a lot of damage! I watched a repeat of an expeditionary diving team tackling the sdiment of the Amazon late last night. Fascinating.
Thanks for the identification.