On this cloudy, cool afternoon in Columbia, Missouri, a mix of songbirds and woodpeckers descended on our backyard, partly drawn by fresh seed in the feeding area. Such feeding groups are common during the colder months, making their foraging efforts more efficient and reducing the risk of predation (more eyes improve the level of alertness); the latter benefit was especially important today.
As I watched from the comfort of our family room, the visitors scattered into the nearby shrubs and trees when a Cooper's hawk swooped in for a late lunch. Fortunately for the songbirds, the powerful accipiter missed his target but the avian party was over.
Though we live near the center of Columbia, just west of the University of Missouri, our neighborhood lies between two wooded stream valleys, favored habitat for both Cooper's hawks and barred owls. We thus get more than our fair share of raptor sightings and the local songbirds are surely aware of that fact.
As I watched from the comfort of our family room, the visitors scattered into the nearby shrubs and trees when a Cooper's hawk swooped in for a late lunch. Fortunately for the songbirds, the powerful accipiter missed his target but the avian party was over.
Though we live near the center of Columbia, just west of the University of Missouri, our neighborhood lies between two wooded stream valleys, favored habitat for both Cooper's hawks and barred owls. We thus get more than our fair share of raptor sightings and the local songbirds are surely aware of that fact.
