Tag: Sharp-shinned Hawk

Life feeds life.

I have fed songbirds for about 15 years, 13 of which here at this home. I count birds for Project FeederWatch and this weekend have counted them for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

A large number of birds of several species visited yesterday, a little more than two days after a major snowstorm. There had been very little activity today, and early this afternoon I saw why.

Sometimes, I feed more than songbirds. A Sharp-shinned Hawk had apparently been keeping watch, and it pounced on a House Finch.

A very talented friend once used the phrase ‘Life feeds life’ as a blog post title. It seemed like an appropriate title for this post.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Photo taken through the window. Predators have to eat as well as songbirds, and feeding songbirds means that I will feed a hawk from time to time.

Watching like a hawk

Watching like a hawk

I heard a quiet cry from overhead.After a moment I triangulated it to our Manitoba maple, then to this hawk. I am nearly certain it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk because I have seen one before,and because we are more likely to see this species than a Cooper’s Hawk in this habitat. It flew on after a few moments. The hawk will likely return because of my participation in Project FeederWatch. Feeding songbirds means setting the table for their predators. I don’t enjoy that but it is an inevitable result, and it is a part of life.