Around and around and again

Watching pigeons have a nervous breakdown's funnier than I expected.

Not funny for the flock of 30 or so birds, of course.

Yesterday a Cooper's hawk nailed a pigeon in our backyard. But the hawk couldn't figure out how to get out of the fenced-in space, so it stood on the victim for 30 minutes or so, eventually carrying it about 15 feet from a bench to beneath the honeysuckle arbor. Shortly thereafter, it abandoned its potential lunch. Linda took the deceased across the street and let it tumble down the riverbank until a rock blocked it.

This morning there wasn't a bird in sight in the neighborhood. Even the scrub jays took off, leading us to suspect the hawk was still here.

Noon-ish, the flock started making high-level passes around the house,  shadows flickering across the hillside. They circled and circled and circled, alternately clockwise and widdershins. It was almost 4 p.m. before they dropped into the backyard for the seed I put out at noon.

First though, the sparrows returned to the bush out front, then to the hanging feeders in back. They had a pleasant meal, not having to navigate around or under pigeons.

I wish nature wasn't "red in tooth and claw," but it is what it is. Minus one pigeon.

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