High above Price Park, a hawk is testing his prowess against a smaller bird on the light pole. The small bird, possibly a mockingbird, appeared to be taunting him, "Catch me, if you can." Price Park is located off of Hobbs Road, near the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library. It has walking trails, a butterfly garden, a meadowlark sanctuary, and a picnic shelter. Many great events take place at this park, like an Earth Day celebration every spring. Year round, it is a great place to bird watch.
Hawks are known to have great visual acuity, a high IQ (for the bird world), and are able hunters. If you like bird watching, consider joining the Piedmont Bird Club. The club has been around since 1938. In 1973, Etta Schiffman compiled their history and, in 1988, Grace Draper put together a 50-year anniversary edition.* Hang out with these birders and you can tell your own mockingbird-that-got-away tales and maybe write their centennial history in 2038! By the way, when we left, the cat and mouse game had ended and the above two birds went their separate ways.
* reference.
Mockingbirds are tough little creatures, willing to as they say to "go to the mattresses" for their family. I would bet that little Mocker has a nest nearby and is distracting the hawk in defense of his little world.
I have a Mourning Dove vs Mockingbird thing going on out back lately...the Doves are holding the upper hand.
Posted by: Janis of So Cal | Saturday, July 06, 2013 at 02:00 PM
I don't know. The hawk's posture suggests to me he's considering an appetizer before dinner.
Posted by: Oakland Daily Photo | Sunday, July 07, 2013 at 02:04 AM