The dreadful but quiet war 2: Cooper’s hawk buffet –or– Mmmmmm… flicker licking good

Saw a hawk on a fallen tree going to town on a bird out a living room window. I’ve caught a Cooper’s hawk eating before but not on “film.” This time I got the video camera right away and got some distant but decent footage. The bird it was eating looked light blue but was large. I knew it wasn’t a Steller’s jay or a band-tailed pigeon though. Perplexing gestalt of a dead bird.

I took the plain digital camera out to try to get some close-ups. Predictably, he was gone before I was even closing the door.

They are very cautious. Didn’t get any closer last time. Interesting that their nearly identically, slightly smaller, chubbier, cousin the Sharp-shinned hawk seems so relaxed about being viewed.

Anyway. Missed him but found feathers everywhere. Casing the site turned up the skull of the departed. A northern red-shafted flicker. It must have looked light blue from a distance because it was half plucked and only had skin and under feathers showing.

There was a successful flicker nest in the woods somewhere this year because there were three juveniles with a parent at the feeder a lot a couple of months ago. I guess the babies didn’t have time to learn all the tricks, like when to duck.

Makes me miss Sacha.