[TN-Bird]

I live on a family farm in the mountains. I hunt, fish, hike, read and write. 
I'm college educated and drive a Volkswagen. I'm not an expert birder but I 
love my birds...and I hate group hugs and sappy music. I consider myself 
adaptable. We, my family and I, have 4 "domestic" cats. 2 are sweet...1 is 
slightly psycho and 1 could beat up a bear. 

 My bedroom window faces my 10 primary bird feeders. At any given time....I may 
have 100 junco's and 50 goldfinches. Along with the titmice, chickadee's, 
woodpeckers, asst. sparrow's, doves, and the occasional wondering guinea fowl. 

I work from home and my computer desk faces these feeders. Since I moved up 
here from Atlanta full-time in July, we have lost 1(one) titmouse. We almost 
lost a ring-necked snake just a month or so ago...but I saved it for my kids. 
It probably would have preferred death by cat....anyway....I watch these cats 
allot...right under and around the feeders. I used to yell out the 
window...then I had to start running out there and running off the cats...then 
I got to thinking about shooting my own cats with a BB gun. I am adaptable to 
any situation.....till I noticed....the cats can't catch the birds. These 
outside living...mountain cats miss every time. Except of course the one 
titmouse.....

In September, I had a Coopers hawk right here in the yard for about 3 weeks. I 
watch him daily kill my migratory song birds. Not titmice or chickadees...but 
the birds I wait all year for. It was great to see, really. This almost made me 
understand why so many farmers and plantation operators in south Georgia used 
to shoot the hawks....

I'm not saying cats don't catch birds of course....but given the number of 
birds vs. the number of kills? I can live with that. I don't expect it will get 
in the way of my migratory birding or my Quail and Dove hunting. Now...the 
coons, fox's, snakes and Cooper's hawks...they might. But that's up to them.

Best,
John Champion
Coker Creek, TN

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