This AM there were three Mt. Chickadees at my feeder, approximately about 10:00 AM. They came in with a small flock of about five Black-Capped Chickadees. Shortly afterwards they were joined by a small flock of Chestnut-Backs and two or three Red Breasted Nuthatches. In all, there were about twenty chickadees and nuthatches that stayed for about fifteen minutes. Then they were frightened off by something, which I have later surmised was the first Cooper's Hawk ever to find its way here to my feeders. I did not see what it was that frightened off the birds, but it looked like something from "The Birds", as there were over forty Pine Siskins here also. At about 3:00 pm it was in my Quince bush and was screaming loudly. It surprised me so much that I ran outside to see what was happening. The Cooper's was the one screaming and its feathers were ruffled as if it had been the attackee, not the attacker. It flew off into one of the firs behind the house and stayed long enough for me to get my binos and focus onto it. Its feathers were indeed very ruffled, but there was no visible evidence that it had been injured to the untrained eye. (mine, of course.)

jvbonham
Centralia, WA
jvbonham at msn.com