An astonishing moment, Tom. Even for one who has seen or heard thousands of birds over the years, a close encounter of the life-and-death kind would be intense. Thanks for sharing. I read that Cooper’s sometimes rocket about at their own expense. In studies of deceased Cooper’s, about 20% had broken sternums, presumably from crashing into tree parts as they’re nipping through the foliage at high speed.
You’re also a known and respected person in certain corners of local law enforcement. I was recording ducks feeding in the shallows near the West Greenbelt Bridge several weeks ago when a couple of middleaged gentlemen from the Boise Police Departement strolled up to say hello. They walk and bike the Greenbelt keeping an eye out for the random citizen raising a ruckus. When they saw my interest in the ducks they told me about a chap they see all over the Greenbelt accounting for the local birds. “Is he riding a bike and is his name, Tom?” I asked. They grinned and said, “The very same.” They had warm praise for you and asked me to tell you hello.
Kevin Merrell
Tolls would be nothing. What if you’d been asked to produce a passport. ;-}
CGB. RL
What drama, Tom!
Have the same theatrics playing out in our backyard – just feet away from us – bold as brass – terrorizing the birds at the feeder.
Liz Medes
Emmett – the east side
Good one, Tom =)
This reminds me of Placerville (Boise County), which has a parking meter right in front of the rest room, worthy of a good laugh every time.
We have a Pine Siskin that seems a little slow. Or maybe he’s just more tolerant of humans. Anyway, I was walking my bike across our back yard, approaching the tray feeder with the “Slow Siskin” in it, when a rocket flew by me and the slow poke Siskin rocketed out of the feeder. He managed to stay ahead of the Cooper’s Hawk and get up into the maple. The rocketing Cooper’s came closer to me than any hawk ever has. And the whole event was over in a flash. Way cool.
It was also quite cool, almost cold, on my bike ride today, but the birds were not cooperative. I ended up having to go all the way downstream to the end of the paved path (20 miles round trip) before I achieved my “Recommended Daily Allowance” of 30 species. Thirty has gotten more difficult of late, but this was crazy. On the bright side, I got to watch a Great Egret glide in for a landing at one of the ponds near the end of the paved.
BTW, weird that I start in Boise, pass into Garden City, then back into Boise and end up at a rest room maintained by Eagle. I should be glad they don’t all charge tolls. 😉
Tom McCabe, Boise
With an arriving cold front, am seeing a bit of an exodus. Appears I’m down to a single juvenile Black-chinned Hummingbird at the feeder. After having a rush, for the past 2 weeks, of almost exclusively juv Calliopes. Not a single Broad-tailed, as of yet. Also, where I was seeing upwards of 15 juv Black-headed Grosbeaks at seed feeder all last week, yet to see any this AM. And, a good crop of juv Lazuli Buntings appear to have exited.
Sure hoping for a good fall warbler migration. Last year was a bust at my area. Not a single Townsend’s. Miss seeing the mixed groups of 50+ warblers, kinglets & vireos pushing through in waves, that I could used to count on witnessing. Last couple of falls have had much fewer numbers.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
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