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Friday, August 30, 2019

Spite Fight


Last week a mid-sized hawk blew into this exact cottonwood tree hollering like mad, then flew before I could get a decent look. 

This morning it was like deja vu all over again, except this time the bird stopped for a photo op. It was after a hundred or Red-winged Blackbirds that were busily hunting bugs up there. 

It missed by a mile and sat there glaring at me for a minute before swooping off across the river, pausing only to dive bomb a passing Ring-billed Gull, screaming all the while.

I actually don't think this is the same bird I saw last week. That one had a very distinctive call that I had never heard before. I believe it was a Red-shouldered Hawk. Sure would have been nice if it had stopped so I could be sure.

Anyhow, this one is a Cooper's Hawk, not a likely candidate for attacking something as big as a gull, but it sure was ticked off. There were probably a thousand or more Red-winged Blackbirds available in nearby trees and the cornfield, so it seems silly that it was so spiteful. 

3 comments:

Jan said...

That is one very dirty look.

Terry and Linda said...

That is a very mean glare!

threecollie said...

Jan, I know it is anthropomorphic to ascribe emotions to wild creatures, but you could have seen her dive bombing that much larger gull. She was MAD and she didn't care who knew it. lol

Linda sure was! Practically shriveled me right in my tracks.