Birds of Prey

Saturday, Sunday and Monday the songbirds are under almost constant attack. Tom places wood chips at all three feeding locations. Wood chips seem to confuse the hawks who have three times now grabbed a wood chip instead of a songbird. Tom puts reflector string tape on the main windows as twice hawks have pursued songbirds into the windows and then gotten them when they hit the ground. No more. Tom places the food closer to the bushes the songbirds take cover in. Thinking he's made real progress he then three times sees the small Loggerhead Shrike wait until there is but one bird left in the front feeding brush and then plow into it in pursuit of the White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, or Dark Eyed Junco. Moving to the back yard there are two Sharp-shinned Hawks hanging out waiting for something to come out of the brush and a new before unseen hawk (Red-shouldered) has joined the fray. Until Tom can get a picture of his head, he's not sure. You can see a White-tailed Antelope Squirrel on the rock keeping an eye on the new predator.