We’ve had freezing rain events regularly over the last week, and it’s not just the humans who’ve had trouble getting around.
The other morning I watched a junco land on the icy edge of the platform feeder and nearly face-plant, and some of the openings in the tube feeders keep icing shut.
When the birds do brave the feeders it’s not for long because the Cooper’s Hawk has been relentless lately.
At dusk several days ago I watched him try to flush a bird out of our arborvitae hedge. He swooped toward the hedge and then landed on a birdhouse to see if anyone would flee. When that didn’t work he flew to the ground underneath and waiting patiently for someone to make a mistake. There were still no takers.
Just as it was getting almost too dark to see much of anything, I noticed a shadow swooping toward the hedge again, and then I saw the hawk land awkwardly on the ground. His patience finally paid off, and he’d caught his meal.
I was thankful it was too dark to view the gory details.