About an hour ago I?was standing in my backyard when I heard a very loud, very close call of a red-shouldered hawk. He flew from a lower branch to a higher branch in a close by tree. Blue jays and crows came to?harass him, but he called a few more times.? I went to get the binoculars.? When I returned, a female red-shouldered had joined him in the tree and was sitting on a branch near him.??The harrassing birds had backed off.??

 The loud one - the male - seemed to give me the "hairy eyeball" while I was looking at him - I swear he was studying me as much as I was him.? Finally he took off energetically, flying toward the horse farm not far away, then called to his mate.? She watched him go for awhile, called softly, then flew out after him, very leisurely.? I decided to stay and watch birds for awhile, but there wasn't much around but jays (duh -did I think they'd be hanging outwith the hawks? )?? 

I did hear what I believe was a pileated close by - answered by a pileated farther away.? I didn't see or hear them again, though.? I think?there may?be a pair in the woods.? (I saw a pileated in my tree line last month). 

As I was getting bored, I saw a blue jay fly high up on a tree top.? He looked around and puffed up - and then called almost exactly like the red shouldered hawk!!!? He didn't have the volume, but if you thought the hawk was at a distance, it was definately passable imitation.? If a bird could look proud of himself, that jay did.? He seemed to think he was big-bird in the forest - puffing up his chest and looking around to see who was watching.? I seemed to be the only one about, other than a cardinal, that had any interest in him.? He shook himself and flew off. 

Fun times for a backyard "moment". 

Since I'm west and south of SERC, earlier today I checked the local goose hangout - the horsefarm - hoping that the snow geese had come to visit here.? No luck.? Just about 175 Canada in the field.? (a typical size flock for the farm).?? 

Joanne