Topic: Bird/critter in the spotlight #6, Sharp shinned Ha

[Wrennie]

A small hawk, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is a regular visitor to bird feeders, where it eats birds, not seed. The male and female show a greater disparity in size than any other American hawk; the female is nearly twice the weight of the male.
from; http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id



I was sitting at my picnic table watching the birds at the feeder, maybe 15 feet away from me. When suddenly ZOOM    a Sharpie zipped in past the feeders and around the front of the house. Hmm, no flying feathers so I guess he didn't get anyone. We have a shade tent frame over the picnic table. A few minutes later a bird lands over my shoulder, I could see the shadow, I thought must be a grackle cause its big. I started to turn to look, and it was the hawk!He took off and flew the other way & off he went. He was only about 2 feet from landing on my shoulder!

[Tina]

Wow, A pretty friendly bird for a predator. Sizing you up for a meal?

[bayou girl]

wow.  and it looks like we have them here too in winter. i'll be on the look out next year.

[Dianna]

I watch out for hawks when Angel is outside. She hops so much that I am afraid that they would mistake her for a bunny rabbit...

[Wrennie]

The day this guy was hunting he came in low and all the birds flew UP the tree to hide in the branches. Last evening I was on the front stoop and he flew into the MIDDLE of the branches to be where they were running to!! Its a pine with ALOT of inner growt, so once again he missed. Wish he'd eat the voles!!

I went to town last evening to get soda, was about 1/10 of a mile from my house and there perched in a tree next to the road, overlooking the stream was a mature bald eagle! I raced Home and got Marton so he could see. We sat parked in the middle of the road, a car came & went around us. I bet they thought we were jerks, then they saw the Eagle and turned around to watch him(her?) with us!

[Tina]

Wonderful. A great story.