Bird Watching: Hawks, 1 by 2dCousinDave

2dCousinDave wrote:
I have some 33 day old bluebird fledglings that have just begun to come to the meal worm feeder that I keep on the deck behind the house. I was gone all day yesterday but returned before dark in time to put some worms out. A feeding frenzy ensued with juvenile bluebirds, song sparrows and others fluttering around.

Suddenly I realized the birds were gone. All except two of the bluebird fledglings. They sat as if frozen, staring up toward the trees. After a minute or two I looked up to see what they were looking at. It was a hawk in the top of a dead oak, about 100 feet away.

I wanted to go out and scare the hawk off, but knew if I opened the back door, the fledglings would fly and I would not be able to protect them. I went out the front door, and around the house and took the picture you see here. The hawk eventually saw me and flew. When I came back inside the fledglings were just as they had been. In fact, they stayed that way for several more minutes, until the bluebird adults showed up.