I saw some awesome behavior today 17 November in the back yard, involving a
Cooper's Hawk and a Downy Woodpecker.
I had filled the feeders last night, and was up watching the birds before
sunrise this morning. Around 9AM or so, I noticed there were absolutely no
birds in sight. I suspected there might be a predator, so opened the back door
and stepped quietly outside.
Then I noticed a male Downy Woodpecker on the suet feeder, about 15 feet from
me. I had overlooked him, because he was absolutely motionless. He was
hanging on the side of the suet cage, facing upward, with his head pointed up
at the trees. I quietly shut the door behind me and followed the Downy's gaze.
He was staring straight at a Cooper's Hawk perched about halfway up a dead
tree, maybe 40 feet above the ground.
This was a big adult Cooper's, probably a female, nearly as large as the
Red-Shouldered Hawks that breed in our neighborhood. She was perched facing
the feeders, and her head and gaze were swiveling very abruptly, every second
or so, to scan around to every corner of the back yard.
I turned back to the Downy. He was still completely frozen in the exact same
position, facing the hawk.
The entire yard was completely silent - no fluttering, no twittering.
(Normally we hear constantly from the Chickadees, Titmouses, and Wrens.)
Finally the hawk hopped off the branch and pulled her wings in close. Dive
posture. She made a steep dive straight to the nearest seed feeder, then
leveled off and glided horizontally past both feeders, about 3-4 feet above the
deck, several feet below the level of the Downy on the suet feeder.
The Downy never moved, and neither did any other birds that may have been
around. I think the hawk was hoping to flush any birds she had missed
sighting. She pulled up and flew off around the side of the house.
No more than 10 seconds later, two Chickadees appeared in the main "safe bird
roost" tree near the feeders and started chattering. I believe they were
giving the "all clear" signal.
Steve Johnson
Fairfax, VA
