Subject: [Tweeters] A jay stands his ground, and lives to brag about it
Date: Oct 18 16:55:49 2005
From: Rob Sandelin - floriferous at msn.com


Yesterday afternoon while having a late afternoon snack I noticed an odd
shape in the cedar tree outside my window which to my delight turned into a
juv. Coopers hawk that was perched, very hunched over, staring intently at
the ground below the feeder. Oh boy, predatory action and I have a first
row seat! A couple of jays flew in, then began hopping about on the ground,
picking up seeds and clearly either unaware or unconcerned about the
drooling raptor perched not 12 feet away above them. The young hawk leaned
ever further forward, then spread its wings and launched off at the ground.
One of the jays immediately flew low and fast over our small pond, the
other, to my astonishment, stayed in place. The hawk made a swerve in the
direction of the departing jay, but then, with talons fully extended, tried
to land on the other jay. Like a football player dodging a tackle, the jay
bounced out of the path of the hawk which swerved awkwardly and landed on
the ground, maybe 8 feet from where the jay was now also perched on the
ground. They looked at each other for a few moments, then the hawk flew away
to the east, out of sight. The jay, jauntily tossing his head, bounced back
to the seeds on the ground below the feeder and a few minutes later its
companion joined it, and I am sure heard the tale of how his friend stared
down the hawk.


Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
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