# Sharpie!



## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

I just so happened to look out my window near my bird feeders and see this small hawk sitting in the snow. It was a sharp shinned hawk and he had a small bird. I considered scaring him off but it's a part of nature and an opportunity for me was watch from the comfort of my house. I scrabbled to find my camera and took a quick shot. He stepped on the bird a few times like a wine maker stepping on grapes then flew to a nearby small tree with the bird which I could see was a male house finch. He then proceded to eat. I shot a few pics to share: 

The attack:










Eating (notice the Cardinel keeping a close eye on him):










The attack site I did notice small bird tracks in the snow and though I didn't see the attack, I think the finch venutured out from under the cover of the tree branches:










The dining site in the small tree:





































And the only remains I could find other than feathers were the beak and a small piece of intestine. Everything else, including the head (I couldn't find the feet either) seemed to have been eaten:










I don't think I want him dining daily on the birds at my feeder but it was interesting...just as long as he doesn't make a habit of it..


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

M1Garand said:


> I don't think I want him dining daily on the birds at my feeder but it was interesting...just as long as he doesn't make a habit of it..


Very cool, but bird feeders can quickly turn into hawk feeders with a nearby perch!


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Excellent thread. I watched a sharp shinned hawk take a morning dove off a feeder last year and did the same walking over him routine as the one you saw. I got my camera out, but when I opened the door he took off with the dove. I didn't think he could carry it.

Then earlier this year, the local coopers hawk landed in a tree in my back yard and I got this close up with my telephoto lens. One of my favoriate pictures of 2007.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Great pics, keep em coming!
I got to wittness a hawk nail a pigeon over the Grand this weekend, dropped it into the water and missed it on the second try. The rat-with-wings got to live darn it, and I didn't have my camera either.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

BD - Hopefully that won't happen, I had one last year and I spooked it after I found dove remains and saw it perch in a nearby tree a day or so later. I didn't see that one (maybe the same one?) again, so hopefully this one will move on. Interesting experience, but I enjoy the birds at the feeder and don't want to lure them in like lambs to the slaughter. 

Split...great pic, I'm seriously looking into getting an SLR type camera with a 300mm or so lens. I get a lot of enjoyment out of trying to get pictures...instead of the ones I get now through a dirty window..:lol: I was thinking about the walking and I'm wondering if that's a way they immobilize the prey with more damage with their talons or if they're just trying to get a good grip before flying to a feeding perch. Maybe a bit of both.


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

That is very cool, maybe the sharp or coopers are what have been around our house also.
Great photo story.


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## Bachflock (Jul 3, 2007)

Very cool! That would be a neat thing to witness. Closest thing I've seen to that was a bald-face hornet taking out a midas fly mid-flight - LOL!


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Execellent photos......Ray, I can see why that is your favorite. Way to take a unique opportunity and turn it into a great photo.


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