What first drew my attention was the frenzied squabbling of house finches in a large elm near the back of our property. As I grabbed my binoculars to check out the cause for their alarm, the high pitched calls of lesser goldfinches joined the protest. Then, always looking for a good fight, a group of blue jays drifted in and their raucous voices soon echoed across the farm.
Expecting to find an owl roosting in the clump of trees, I headed back for a closer look. My approach was the final straw and a large Cooper's hawk bolted from cover, heading for another shade tree. A comical parade followed in his wake, including the finches, the blue jays and, to my amusement, a pair of broad-tailed hummingbirds, tiny but courageous. A second round of protest ensued, sending the raptor away for good.
Like other accipiters, Cooper's hawks hunt by stealth, hoping to snare an unwary songbird while zig-zagging through forest or open woodlands. Unless the initial attack is successful, the alarm will be sounded and his potential victims soon become annoying combatants, intent on evicting their nemesis from the neighborhood. This morning, the hunted were the victors.
