Man, that was a first. And not one but two. Sir Charles’ last name-turned-verb as an award doesn’t quite capture it: the term should be Dar-lose.
Coopernicus flew in. Quite to my surprise, he landed on the wooden box on the other side of the sliding door, right there, and people-watched awhile. Cool!
(And I’m suddenly thinking, as I’m proofreading the draft of this post: oh of course. It’s solstice time. He always claims his territory loud and clear at solstice, that’s why he was chatting with me as he watched. Okay, then.)
The real surprise was what happened next, though: a chickadee flew in to the suet cake three feet straight above his head. He looked up then leaped up but the angle made it difficult to put speed into it and as the suet bounced off his chest, the chickadee was getting a clue, fast.
The hawk ambled to the near part of the fence. He has seemed slower to my eyes since his collision with the screen, but clearly he hasn’t gone too hungry. There seem to have been more attempts at driving his prey into the windows–a good adaptation to the circumstances, if there’s any lingering injury.
A titmouse came in from the side at the same time Coopernicus was reaching the fence and it landed on the box. Started to peck at the bits of suet fallen from above. Freaked! and dove for cover. Dar- for the -WIN. Close!