Late this morning I saw a blur past the feeder window, a coopers hawk on the
stoop. A splash of feathers and it was out of view, the feathers from its
hit floating down like orange colored snowflakes. I ran downstairs and
donned boots and coat and tried my best to quietly walk in the backyard on
the crunchy snow. A coopers hawk on the ground tearing at the breast of a
varied thrush. It ignored me at first, then stared at me, staring back. It
then lifted off, carrying the thrush in its talons up and over the brush and
out of view, leaving behind a pile of feathers and a small pool of blood.
Later, almost dark I was going after firewood and found another such marker
in the old snow, the blood was still wet. Apparently we lost two varied
thrushes today. The grocery stores were packed today with people laying in
provisions against the much forecast snowstorm. As several people have
noted, the birds are stocking up also. A flicker, a red-breasted sapsucker
and a downy all were on my suet feeder at one time! The birds went through a
whole cake in one day, and two full feeders. Some kind of chow line today.


Rob Sandelin
South Snohomish County at the headwaters of Ricci Creek
Sky Valley Environments <http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm>
Field skills training for student naturalists
Floriferous at msn.com


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