Hawk
attack! Cambridge, Mass. A life or death struggle
unfolded on our rooftop yesterday. A Sharp-shinned Hawk had surprised
a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at about 6:30 in the evening. We didn't
see the strike but we did see the aftermath. The Hawk merely stood
upon the helpless sapsucker seeming remorseless of the act. More
as though it were waiting for a bus than killing a bird. The entire
scene seemed very practiced and was over in a few minutes. The
Hawk seemed to be balancing itself on its wingtips so as to center
its weight over the Sapsucker's neck where it had placed one of
its talons, while the other had impaled the Sapsucker's breast.
The Hawk also seemed to be shielding the prey from view from other
potential predators that might steal its meal. The hawk seemed
to be aware of my wife and I peering out through the open skylight
but didn't want to move until it was certain the Sapsucker had
expired. The Sapsucker made futile little squawks and struggled–but
the hawk was too heavy. The Hawk then flew to a nearby dead tree
where it firmed its grip on the now dead Sapsucker and flew off
presumably to eat its meal. We felt very bad for the Sapsucker,
but we knew not to interfere. At that time we thought the bird
to be a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker. They are very common around
here. My father-in-law set us straight on the I.D. Thanks Dean!
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