Winter Meals

Feeders full of black-oil sunflower seeds and squares of suet are attracting lots of birds this winter. But these robins rather dine on fruit and berries.

     Purple finches love our feeding stations and also enjoy the seeds of staghorn sumac.

We saw huge flocks of robin at Herrick's Cove in Bellows Falls on one sunny and not so cold day, stripping the crabapple trees of all the berries.

Flocks of cedar waxwings seem to be everywhere too.

No seeds or berries for raptors! They prefer their small, feathered relatives. This sharp-shinned hawk managed to grab an unsuspecting robin. 

She took her time eating then flew off with the carcass.

All that remains are some feathers and blood,

which makes for an interesting investigation by a curious westie named Merry!

Aerial Antics

Sharp-shinned hawk (left) and Cooper's hawk

Hawk-watching isn't always action-packed although this day it was!! Usually when we see a small-sized hawk harassing a larger one, it's a sharp-shinned hawk. This day, one chose to harass a Cooper's hawk. Both are accipiters; short-winged, long-tailed hawks built for agility and bursts of speed.

Luckily they flew right overhead and Gerry clicked away with his camera. The Cooper's hawk is the larger of the two. 

  

 

 

 Seconds later, they both flew off unscathed.