FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Sharp-shinned Drama

["Mayhorn" <mayhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

VA Birders,
With a light covering of snow and 25 degrees the birds were busy at the feeders 
here on Compton Mt this morning. Among the regulars were 5 male Purple Finches.
At one point I noticed the birds had left except for one lone female Downy that 
was hugging the trunk of the cherry tree . Just a few feet away on the opposite 
side of the tree was a male Sharp-shinned sitting near the pond stream. After a 
couple of minutes the Sharpie left. As he left the Downy moved around the tree 
trunk to keep the hawk from seeing her. As soon as the hawk left, so did the 
Downy.

Fifteen minutes later the hawk was back again. This time he made a dive into 
the feeding flock, then gave chase to one bird. They disappeared into the 
woods, the Sharpie hot on the tail of the smaller bird, but within a second or 
two they were back out, zigzagging through trees, going over and under 
branches. The two disappeared again into the woods. A couple of seconds later 
the hawk came out again, crossing the yard and heading away from the area, 
empty taloned, but about 10 feet behind him a small bird was giving chase. They 
went out of sight with the small bird still close behind the Sharpie. I don't 
know if the small bird giving chase was the same one the hawk had pursued. 
Maybe the smaller bird felt the safest place to be was behind the hawk.

The Sharpie came back 2 more times throughout the day, but I never saw him 
catch any lunch.

Enjoy the birds,

Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt (near Grundy)
Buchanan County