Sharp-shinned Hawks vs. American Crows

Sharp-shinned Hawk vs. American Crow - Gardiner, Washington - Day 1 - Welcome to yet another series starring our wacky Sharp-shinned Hawks, this time vs. American Crows. We are so excited a murder of crows have suddenly moved in with us. Maybe 25 or 30. Our Sharp-shinned Hawks are equally excited to have fresh contestants in their air wars. Also quite pleased are the 20 plus Steller's Jays, as the crows seem to draw more fire from the hawks, taking some pressure of of them, so they can get to the peanuts more easily.

Sharp-shinned Hawk vs. American Crow - Gardiner, Washington - Day 2 of our backyard drama: Our sharp-shinned hawk decided to give the local American crows a taste of their own medicine! Usually, crows are the bullies, but today it’s the hawk doing the dive-bombing. Let the games begin!

Sharp-shinned Hawk vs. American Crow - Go Big or Go Home! - Gardiner, Washington - Day 3 - Are the crows actually scared? Not really! While our sharp-shinned hawk is having fun dive-bombing, the crows are mostly playing it cool. They know he’s not a serious danger, but it sure makes for an exciting aerial show!

Sharp-shinned Hawk vs. American Crow - Face-off in Forest - Gardiner, Washington - Day 4 - From the hawk’s point of view, these crows are big, noisy neighbors. Sharpies usually hunt smaller birds, so this is just a bit of aerial fun. It’s all about territory and a little bit of bird-to-bird bravado!

Sharp-shinned Hawk vs. American Crows - Sizing Up His Opponent - Gardiner, Washington - Day 5 - I love that head turn of the hawk  In the end, no harm done! Sharp-shinned hawks rarely hurt crows—this was just a week of playful chases and a bit of bird-on-bird antics. Nature’s always full of surprises!

Sharp-shinned hawk vs. American Crow - Bank On It! - Gardiner, Washington - Day 6 -

Did you know American crows are some of the smartest birds around? They can recognize faces, use tools, and even remember which hawks are threats. Our backyard crows are giving the sharpie a run for its money with their clever dodges!

American Crows - On Display - Gardiner, Washington - Day 7 - American Crows On Display, relaxing and waiting for lunch. What a handsome bunch huh? 7 of 10....

Sharp-shinned Hawk vs. American Crow - Coming Around Again - Gardiner, Washington - Day 8 - I hope you enjoyed my series on our pesky young Sharp-shinned Hawks going after our American Crows. No blood was spilled, and hopefully the hawks learned a few moves they can use on the hunting grounds. Next up...Sharp-shinned Hawks vs. Pileated Woodpeckers, of all things  Follow along for some great images.