[TN-Bird] Excitement / adult Cooper's
- From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 09:37:24 EST
Happy frigid morning,
Early this morning, I heard a thump against my kitchen window here in
Charlotte Park, West Nashville, Davidson County, a few blocks east of the
Cumberland River and across from Bell's Bend. I looked through the French
doors
between the dining room and the deck to see one of the adult Cooper's hawks
fly
into the tree right behind the deck and perch on a low branch. After a few
seconds, it flew to the neighbor's fence that borders my property only about
25
feet from the corner of my deck. It spent a few seconds there, then turned
around to face the deck before it flew into a tree out back where it was
somewhat hidden from the deck by a cedar tree. I have been warily awaiting a
"Coop swoop" since then..........until just now! It just flew,with tail
spread,
after something which was out of sight at the south side of my house. There
is gray feather residue on the kitchen window, but obviously the bird
survived the blow. The hawk didn't have anything, and no bird is on the deck
under
the window. From the sound of the thump, I think it was a mourning dove, and
the feather residue looks as if it came from a mourning dove's head area.
Late yesterday, I returned home to find a great horned owl perched in one of
my pine trees, up very close to the tree trunk as long-eared owls are said
to do. It was still there when daylight ended and I could no longer see it.
Just outside the French doors on the deck, I found a small clump of junco
feathers. Apparently, it had become a meal for one of the Cooper's, an early
snack for the owl, or maybe just a morsel for a "friendly" neighborhood cat.
Also, when I pulled my car into the carport downstairs, BOTH Carolina wrens
popped out of the gourd in which they raised their young and started giving a
real fuss about being disturbed. I guess they are using that gourd as a
warm roosting spot as they did last year.
This is a four sparrow morning with a fabulous white-crowned sparrow eating
away in the presence of my sweet little song sparrow, a pair of field sparrows
and several white-throated sparrows. Where, oh where, are my little
chippies that often winter here? It would also be nice to see the fox sparrow
that
appeared last year, but it only came when it snowed as I recall. The
mockingbirds,chickadees, titmice and @*&$%# starlings are gorging on peanut
butter
"ice cream" this morning The PB is quite frozen in spite of the oil that it
contains, so it's really fun to watch the birds chip away at it getting only
tiny "bites." Two "bossy mocks" are up there now successfully getting some
larger globs, but not as large as they usually like.
Can anyone tell me WHY I have at least two SINGING robins? Ever since the
rather warm, spring-like rains we had several days ago, two of my robins have
been singing as if they think it IS spring. I would have thought this
freezing weather would put a stop to that behavior, but they were out there
singing
away early this morning just as they do during mating season. Do you
suppose the singing now translates into a call to the "troops" telling them,
"It's
COLD, let's migrate," for the last several days?
It's been a fine morning. Now, I must replenish "Dee's Smorgabird" and head
out to get a batch of errands done. I almost hate to leave home and miss
any birdy excitement that might occur.
Cheers, prayers & happy birding on a freezing day when I wish I could have
taken the time to go on the Nashville TOS field trip instead of HAVING to do
boring errands!
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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