Sunday, February 25, 2007

ATTACK

OH MY! You won't believe what happend in my very own back yard. Right by the fevver feeders. If you are faint of heart or have really soft spot for fevvers, proceed with caution.

It had snowed overnight (Friday to Saturday) and mum cleared the snow and wented outside to make sure the fevvers could get their eats. They were doing just fine, but we noticed that lots of times they would all just fly away furry quickly.

Mum wented to get some house work stuff done, she pulled out the big sucking machine. When she gotted done she needed a bag to dump out the canister. She walked by the big windows that go to the floor and just stopped and said. "OH MY!. Come look Derby".

What did we see? A Sharp-shinned hawk, but a hawk that had caughted a mourning dove who was feeding. Mum keeps the wire over the feeder to keep the squirrels out. But the dove could not get out fast enough and Mr. Hawk caught it. You can make out the lighter tan/brown of the dove along the lower breast of the hawk. Click on the pictures to biggify.
Mr, Hawk finally gotted the dove free of the feeder and landed with it on the snow by the back gate. He pounced on it a few times to probably finish killing it. You can see the extra feathers down by the snow, that is the dove.
After 30 seconds or so, Mr. Hawk flew off with the dove in his claws. He flew way up high into the neighbor's evergreen tree. Mum was refilling the feeder today and found feathers stuck to the wire and BLOOD in the snow!. Yikes. I feel sorry for the dove, but understand that Mr. Hawk has gotta eat too and he doesn't eat seeds. He could eat one of the squirrels and leave the fevvers alone.

Mum says Mr. Hawk is why I am not let outside. He might want me for lunch! I don't want to be Mr. Hawk's lunch, so I guess I am OK with staying inside.

It snowed again overnight and lots of wind. Guess this is the 'lizzard they were talking about. It stopped for a while and Mum moved the snow off the driveway and away from the doors. She has gotten help from the neighbors with their bigger snow eating machines. But is looks like it is starting to snow again.

Mum can't really say how much we gotted as it is drifted so bad. The drift in the back of the house is around 3 feet high and the snow pile at the end of the driveway is about 4 feet deep from all the plowing and shovelling. Mum's guess is we gotted around 12 inches of snow since Friday night. Hope all of my buddies are safe, warm and dry

20 comments:

  1. We got a hawk on our balcony once it
    was eating a pigeon.Their big birds yet they move quickly.

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  2. WOW excellent pictures! We have a pair of golden eagle who live just on the other side of the hill. We see them quite often try to snatch our finches.

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  3. Mom sawed doze pikshers and sed -oh my. Der iz a Peragrine falcon dat lifs on da tall building neer her work dat catches fev-vers IN MID AIR! She sez it'z kewl to watch but kinda gross at da same time.

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  4. Nasty vishus hawk!
    Our neighbor man blowed the snow out of our driveway this morning so mom didn't have to shovel. Thats good, 'cause she is terribly out of shape. (ssshhhh, don't tell her we said that!)

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  5. Derby, Derby, Derby..

    You have an exciting life in Wisconsin!

    We don't have such cold and snow and I doubt that there's ever been a hawk in our garden.

    Yes, you are right to stay inside and away from the hawks and owls and other birds of prey. Stay safe and warm!

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  6. Yes,you have an exciting life in Wisconsin! I have only a balcony.
    *´¨)
    ¸. ಌ´ ¸.ಌ*´¨)
    (¸.ಌ´*(¸.ಌ´ Lunita)*/

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  7. wow, now we has to be careful of vishus hawks too! so many fings out there that would eat kitties. we is glad we doesn't go out. great pikshurs!!!!

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  8. Oh goodness! Vishus Hawks!! We has Prairie Falcons come to our Fevver Feeders. Vishus Falcons, Vishus Hawks, Vishsus Deer, Vishus Moose. Watz poodins to do???

    Luf, Us

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  9. goodness! no wonder they call it "wild life"! our mom once saw a bluejay in the tree outside her work window, and it was eating one of the little goldfinches--she nefurr DREAMED that bluejays were cannibals! she was furry upset that day.

    lucky you--you has snow. our mom is furry jealous, an' wishes she could convince the snow god to send us a few feet!

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  10. See, I keep saying it's a BAD idea to go outside, and I was right! When the birds are eatin' each other, it's a bad, bad, bad sign...

    I suppose we kitties can't say anything. If we were out there and found a mousie, we'd probably do the same thing...

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  11. I am furry glad you are an indoor kitty. Sounds like you is getting snow like we have gotten all winters.

    Patches

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  12. Derbs - you're on Bird Chick! We sent over a link to your cool photos

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  13. Wow, that is a scary thought. I don't think there's any hawks where I live (in the city) but there is something else out there that can kill cats, his name is Jack Frost and he'll nip you to death - Marble got a little nip from him when he was outside on his excellent adventure and his ear fell off a week ago. I liked your pictures - I never saw a mourning dove before. Very cool birdie - too bad it got eaten. Your new friend - Fat Eddy.

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  14. Oh, poor birdie. We had lots and lots of birdies & squirrels on our feeders over the weekend 'cause they couldn't find other food. Plus we saw 4 doves and Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal along with the smaller birdies. But no HAWKS.

    Max

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  15. The Woman sees hawks around all the time but mostly we haven't heard about them getting cats (ours a small hawks). Where we used to live, they used to like to steal the Koi that people would put in their ponds. Can't say that I blame them, but at $50/fish it was an expensive feeding habit!

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  16. WOW! Derby, those are some amazing pictures. I even saw a chunk of MEAT in the hawk's beak. Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Be very careful of Mr. Hawk. He seems mean. Even though he does have to eat too.

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  17. It's a good thing your Mum knows to keep you inside, what with Mr. Hawk and your 'lizzard! Stay warm!

    China Cat & Willow

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  18. oh, that poor little fev-ver! that big fev-ver is really gorgeous though. great pictures!

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  19. We have red-tailed hawks around here. They are about the same size as the ravens, but the ravens get really excited when one shows up. Stay warm and safe inside, Derby.

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Don't be shy, we loves to hear your meows and mews.