Spring 69: Mobbing

May 30 and June 1, 2011
Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA

It's been multiple mornings of David-and-Goliath style, little-birds-harassing-bigger-bird sightings!

On Monday, I followed an unfamiliar sound to find this scene:

A red-tailed hawk crouched clumsily on a branch, occasionally clambering a few inches here or there, while indignant jays flew at it, diving low, sometimes even skimming the hawk's head/shoulder feathers.

Later, by the Visitor Center, I saw a crow get chased by several smaller birds, including a bright yellow one.

Wednesday was even more dramatic:
A red-tailed hawk flew low overhead, pursued by smaller birds. His claws gripped something that I couldn't quite see clearly. A baby bird? A rodent?

In his frenzy, he dropped the catch, and I wandered over to see if I could find it.

Yuck!

What's worse than a freshly-killed squirrel?
Half a freshly-killed squirrel!

At least it was the bottom half. Either way, pretty gross.