The Mockingbird and Hawk War, April 27, 2009

Emily has been banned from the backyard until the chicks are airborn...she has been stalking the mockingbird parents as they look for worms. So they in turn started dive bombing the stalker. Fair is fair, right?!?!


Tonight after dinner I was doing a soap inventory when the birds in the backyard started some major chatter. I looked out from the back patio to see a big bird sitting on the branch by the mockingbird nest. Yikes! I hollered at Rod and he came out and said it was a hawk.

I shooed it away and it retreated to the fence, and then the neighbor's roof. After a bit the birds settled down and I managed to sneak a peak at the nest...and it looked like all the chicks were dead. BUT, I am happy to say that when I went in for a closer look a half hour later, the little guys reared up like they were waiting for Mamma to feed them. I counted two...so hopefully they are ok.

The hawk came back a couple times as I sat out keeping watch as it approached dusk. I hope he finds another meal somewhere else, but, now that he knows that nest is close, the days may be numbered for our little friends. Bummer!

UPDATE: I just went out and checked on them about 10:40 pm and one of the parents is in the nest keeping them safe. Yea...gosh, I hope we can get some of these chicks to the flying stage.

UPDATE #2: This morning (4/28) I was spying on them from the back bedroom and I saw three hungry mouths. We didn't catch the hawk anywhere around yesterday...so maybe he found easier pickings elsewhere.