It’s been hard to do any backyard birdwatching this summer. I don’t just watch the birds, I listen for them and since our street is being ripped up and resurfaced, the only sound I’ve heard for the last 3 months is the back-up beeping of all the construction equipment. In fact long after the machines have been parked for the day, I still have that annoying beeping in my head.
One bird that I can still hear above the construction noise is the sassy Blue Jay.
In the past we’ve had one hanging around the neighborhood that can perfectly mimic a Red-tailed Hawk. However I’m starting to think he taught a class on it because we’ve recently had an epidemic of Red-tailed Hawk calls. Usually a few minutes after the call we hear the telltale “jeer” of a Blue Jay and the jig is up.
I don’t even react anymore. In fact last week I was outside filling the birdbaths when I heard the high-pitched “scream” of a hawk. There was also a lot of peeping, squawking and chattering from the songbirds, chipmunks and squirrels who were clearly agitated. I marvelled at how sinister those Blue Jays can be. The other birds aren’t going to visit the feeders if they think a hawk is lurking, and that gives the Blue Jays free reign.
Just then I gazed up in the air and saw a real Red-tailed Hawk soaring above the tops of the oak trees. I guess I’m the only easy mark.