I live on a family farm in the mountains. I hunt, fish, hike, read and write. I'm college educated and drive a Volkswagen. I'm not an expert birder but I love my birds...and I hate group hugs and sappy music. I consider myself adaptable. We, my family and I, have 4 "domestic" cats. 2 are sweet...1 is slightly psycho and 1 could beat up a bear. My bedroom window faces my 10 primary bird feeders. At any given time....I may have 100 junco's and 50 goldfinches. Along with the titmice, chickadee's, woodpeckers, asst. sparrow's, doves, and the occasional wondering guinea fowl. I work from home and my computer desk faces these feeders. Since I moved up here from Atlanta full-time in July, we have lost 1(one) titmouse. We almost lost a ring-necked snake just a month or so ago...but I saved it for my kids. It probably would have preferred death by cat....anyway....I watch these cats allot...right under and around the feeders. I used to yell out the window...then I had to start running out there and running off the cats...then I got to thinking about shooting my own cats with a BB gun. I am adaptable to any situation.....till I noticed....the cats can't catch the birds. These outside living...mountain cats miss every time. Except of course the one titmouse..... In September, I had a Coopers hawk right here in the yard for about 3 weeks. I watch him daily kill my migratory song birds. Not titmice or chickadees...but the birds I wait all year for. It was great to see, really. This almost made me understand why so many farmers and plantation operators in south Georgia used to shoot the hawks.... I'm not saying cats don't catch birds of course....but given the number of birds vs. the number of kills? I can live with that. I don't expect it will get in the way of my migratory birding or my Quail and Dove hunting. Now...the coons, fox's, snakes and Cooper's hawks...they might. But that's up to them. Best, John Champion Coker Creek, TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958 =========================================================