Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird takes on Cooper's
Date: Jun 19 17:43:03 2006
From: squeakyfiddle at aol.com - squeakyfiddle at aol.com


Hummingbirds are indeed ferocious. I watched one take on a Barred Owl
in Seward Park recently. She'd hover 4 or 5 feet up and behind the owl
and do a swooping dive at its head, chittering all the way. A couple of
times it looked as if she made contact - the owl ducked and whined.
After perhaps a dozen attacks the owl took off into the deeper woods,
hummingbird in pursuit.

On a sadder note, it looks as if the Anna's Hummingbird nest in our
apple tree has failed. We noticed nest building May 18. The female was
still sitting on Wednesday this week just before we went out of town.
I've not seen her since returning yesterday, but there are still two
eggs in the nest.



-----Original Message-----
From: LINDA PHILLIPS <linda_phillips1252 at msn.com>
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Cc: Jean Phillips <jphillips at chemithon.com>
Sent: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 12:44:55 -0700
Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird takes on Cooper's

Hello,



I have been observing a pair of Cooper?s Hawks at Wallace Swamp Creek
Park since mid-February; they have a nest high in a fir tree.



Sunday, I was quite a distance from their area when I heard repeated
calls from the Cooper?s. They have been quiet and elusive for some time
so I was anxious to find out what was causing the commotion; maybe the
babies had fledged. When I got there I could hear the hawk call from
low branches very close to the trail. Everyone else in the neighborhood
was pretty quiet, except one brave Mama Rufous Hummingbird; who was
letting the hawk know in no uncertain terms that it was trespassing.



I don?t know exactly where the hummer?s nest is but I see and hear her
in a nearby blackberry tangle almost every time I go by.

I saw just one hummingbird but I heard, possibly two more. I think the
female and her fledglings were all taking on the Cooper?s. They hurling
verbal abuses at the hawk, I got one good look at Mrs. R, her beautiful
tail feathers FANNED OUT, CHARGING the hawk .

The hawk flew from branch to branch staying about 20' from the trail;
Mrs. Rufous was in its face the whole time. She finally drove the hawk
deeper into the woods and the other neighbors Bushtits, Robins, and
Chickadees etc. came out of hiding.

I had seen her take on this hawk once before, that day; I heard what
sounded to me like a Junco?s call note.

Since I hadn?t seen Juncos in the park for a while, I investigated
more closely and finally found a female Rufous scolding for all she was
worth, face to face with the Cooper?s.



Monday morning I saw a Cooper?s soaring across the park?s meadow,
right on its tail were a Violet-green Swallow and a Hummingbird. They
both charged the hawk, getting close enough to make the hawk flinch.
Maybe they even hit it.

They may be little but those birds are sure BOLD!







Linda Phillips

Kenmore, 98028-2616

linda_phillips1252 at msn.com











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