December 26, 2005 [LINK]

Sharp-shinned hawk attack

I heard some rustling in the holly bush outside my window this morning, and sure enough I soon saw a Sharp-shinned hawk perched on top of the bird feeder. Photo op! As I was transfering the photos into the computer, sadly, I heard a tiny scream and saw the hawk fly away, presumably with lunch in its grasp. I hope its victim wasn't a goldfinch. It has since returned at least twice. Based on its relatively small size (about that of a pigeon) and plumage, I would say it is an adult male.

Princess apparently saw the hawk, because she was hiding in some unknown corner of the canary room for over a half hour. George was resting in the bedroom, blissfully unaware.

While driving up to Northern Virginia on Saturday [virtually no truck traffic: O joy! ] we saw a Great blue heron flying, the first one in quite a few weeks. The usual complement of Red-tailed hawks and American kestrels were perched alongside Interstate 81 at regular intervals.