Close encounters with the feathered kind:
Yesterday, as I was turning the compost heap, I looked up and
marveled at the efforts of the VG swallow who was attempted to haul a
feather bigger than she was into the nest box suspended directly
above my head. She managed to get herself in side, but the feather
stuck to the rough cedar face of the box. she tried to pull it
inside from inside, but couldn't get a good beak hold. She dislodged
it and it fell. I reached out my hand to catch it, and a couple of
inches before it landed , a small violet green bullet flew over my
shoulder and attempted an aerial retrival. She missed, so I pulled
out the step ladder and placed the feather inside. She happily
entered the box and we both got back to what we were doing.
Today, as I planted tomatoes, a Red tailed hawk flew about 40 feet
above my head, accompanied by four unhappy crows. He came from the
directions of my neighbors pine tree which has a crow's nest and was
carrying a small, black talon- full of disjointed something. He
landed in fir trees about 100 feet away, and the crows were joined
by every corvid for blocks. He stayed until I got out my binoculars
and headed south. The crows really dive bombed him - I saw them
actually hit the hawk's tail. I do believe he raided the crow's nest I have
been watching all spring from my windows- this is not far from
downtown Puyallup in suburban yards.
Jerry Broadus
P.O. Box 249
Puyallup, WA. 98371