Just as I finished my morning chores and sat down at the computer, I heard a thud against the house followed by the cackle of a ringneck c*ckbird. I then heard him cackling in the front flower bed. When I looked out the window, I saw an adult male Cooper's hawk attacking him. Instead of striking with one dive and holding the pheasant down, he was attacking in repeated short dives. I quickly ran outside and chased the hawk away. He was very reluctant to leave. The pheasant ran into the thicket surrounding my home. Quite a sight to see this raptor attacking a quarry twice its size. This is probably the same hawk who returns every year and winters in this area. He is a frequent visitor to my pigeon lofts. Prior to the burgeoning hawk population this area was prime pheasant habitat. There are no longer any native pheasants. The only pheasants around are those stocked by the state or semi-wild hunting groups. Just further proof that raptors will tackle prey far larger than themselves.
