Excitement in the Yard

Two exciting things happened in the yard today.  I have the day off work and was mouse and snake proofing my garage this afternoon.  At least I was attempting to critter proof the garage by sealing cracks and sweeping it clean.  I allowed the chickens to roam as long as I was outside. I went around the back of the house where the chickens were eating spilled black sunflower seeds from beneath the birdfeeder.  As I walked along, I saw Pamela sound the alarm.  She and Meredith ran for cover under the deck. Pamela could see farther around the east side of the house than I could from where I was standing.  Before the chickens could get under the deck, a big old hawk flew around the corner of the house and sailed beneath the bird feeder, right in front of me.  I could see it was a large hawk and I could see the bands of light and dark on the tail.  The red-shouldered hawk that hangs around our house also has those bands on the tail but I don't think it was the red-shouldered hawk diving for my chickens.  For one thing, this hawk was silent.  The red shouldered hawk is talking, talking, talking all the time.  Plus the red-shouldered usually eats reptiles like frogs and snakes and other riverbank critters.  I'm 70% sure this was a Cooper's hawk.  Good old Pamela was on the look out.  She has really had to step up since Meredith's incident with the fox.  Maybe we all have the potential for leadership when the chips are down.  I praised Pamela for her strong survival skills. And I told the chickens I would take on that hawk if they needed me to.  Yeah, that might have been an empty promise made in the heat of the moment.  I don't think I would really tangle with a hawk.  After measuring wingspans yesterday, I don't think I would take on a blue jay either. Blue jays have huge wings when they're really spread out.  And hawks have sharper talons.   Lets hope it never comes to that.  I don't want to fight with any bird.  The second exciting thing was a female American redstart was spotted on my deck.  I saw the yellow feathers on the sides of her tail and had to look her up in my bird guide.  This is the first time I've ever seen this bird in my yard. And she wasn't on the deck to drink water or take a bath or eat any food. She came to pull some fuzzy fibers off the cable that holds the birdfeeder.  She came to gather nesting material which leads me to think she is making a nest.  I would think it's a little late in the season for nesting making but maybe she's just redecorating.  In any case, it was great to see her.