This story reminds me of a startling incident that I witnessed last winter. Out of the blue (so to speak)
a Sharpie flew at full throttle into the sliding glass door that opens onto our second-floor deck (hitting
it with a loud BAM), about six feet from where I was sitting. The hawk had dived at but missed a
female cowbird that had been at the deck feeder. The cowbird was on the deck, fluttering up against
the glass door, trying to escape - when the hawk came in a second time, hitting the glass again, but
this time catching and flying off with the cowbird.
If I recall correctly, it was an immature Sharpie. Compared to the graceful maneuvers described by
Don, this hunting technique is pretty crude (but it worked).
Elaine Hendricks
Greenbelt, MD
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Simonson" <>
To:
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Sharpshinned Hawk uses Window "Feeder"; Sun 11/13
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 16:35:22 +0000
>
> At my feeder and birdbath in Darnestown, Mont. Co MD this morning:
> 1 adult Sharp-Shinned Hawk. Perched on top of the bird feeder, then
> dove down to almost ground level, flew fast directly toward the
> window, then veered and rolled sharply left at the last instant,
> coming up under a Junco which had flushed and had bounced off the
> window. Exactly the same maneuver as an adult Sharpie at the
> feeder last winter and spring, which I observed catching birds that
> way on 3 different occasions. Same Sharpie? Has anyone else on the
> list observed this behavior?
> Good birding! -Don Simonson
>
--
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