hen chases bird, then cat

Dolly, one of our Buff Orps has really got it going on lately! The other day, a little Junko had the nerve to scratch around in the perenial bed. (Which Dolly thinks belongs to her since I haven't gotten the chicken-proof fence around it yet.)

Dolly was way across the yard, she cocked her head to the side, got a gleam in her eye and then ran full out flapping and squawking all the way over into the bed. "Rotten little bird in my yard!"

So then a couple days ago, a big neighbor cat was checking out a bird in a shrub in the garden. It squeezed in to the narrow gap between our chain link fence and the neighbor's fence.

Around that time, Dolly spied the cat. Our hens were raised in a house with dogs and cats, so they are mostly unconcerned when they see animals around. Sometimes standing still and watching them. But this particular cat was just inches and a little chain link away from Dolly's favorite scratching spot under the mock orange bush.

Guess what she did next...cocked her head to the side, got that "hey, whatcha doing?" look in her eye, and zoom! Full on run across the yard, quick squeeze through the garden fencing and then big nasty tabby hunter was running away through the alley as fast as she could go!

I'm wondering what Dolly will take after next...