[TN-Bird] Imm. Cooper's strikes + chickadee/hummer battle
- From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 17:33:19 EDT
Greetings from the Charlotte Park area of West Nashville, Davidson County, a
few blocks east of the Cumberland River's old Cleece's Ferry Boat Landing.
About 3:30 PM, as I was watching the weather build-up seemingly begin to
subside, an immature Cooper's hawk zoomed in from the south side of my deck and
struck, but did not hold, a rock pigeon. The rock pigeon veered east, and the
"immy Coop" went northwest leaving 17 rock pigeon feathers scattered over the
west end of my deck! Guess the young Cooper's just didn't dig its claws in
deep enough to keep from striking OUT! Wonder what it would have done with
that
big, fat pigeon if it had connected for the "kill?" Would the Coop have eaten
it here, left it or tried to carry it off? I HAVE seen a Peregrine carry a
gadwall from the duck pond at St. Marks NWR (FL) to a pine tree almost a
quarter mile away once, so apparently, predators CAN tote their own weight or
more.
Today's encounter WAS an exciting moment on a semi-stormy day..
Earlier today, just as I'd spotted a male hummingbird perched on a utility
wire near the deck and was aiming my camera, a Carolina chickadee "went after"
the hummer and chased him off the wire to another perch. The chickadee struck
again and continued to harass the hummer until it flew into the depths of
foliage in my hackberry tree right behind the deck. The chickadee then flew
down
to the hummingbird feeder where it quenched its thirst from the ant trap
above. Finally, I have gotten a few photos of the male hummers, but nothing to
write home about....YET!
When the wind came up earlier, several nighthawks started flying around as
the sky darkened around 2 PM.
Cheers, prayers & super birding,
Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN
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