I’ll start by saying, I know she has to eat, but… This sharpie was stalking our feeder for a few days. The blue jays sound the alarm first, then everyone scatters. The smaller birds dive into a bush near the feeder. The sharpie is smart. After pacing around the bush trying to get at some of the smaller birds, she flew up into a nearby tree. Camouflaged behind some branches, she waited. However, not to be outsmarted, the little birds did not return to the feeder until she was long gone. I haven’t seen her in a few days, so I think she’s moved on. I hope she does okay.
This is a tough time to be a raptor. Operation Wildlife has been taking in quite a few that have been hit by cars while hunting. Apparently, they like to hunt on the roadside because people throw garbage out. Rats and mice go after the garbage and the raptors go after the rats and mice–too close to busy highways.
Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor