Bad boy!

Sharp-shinned hawk - likely a male

This bad boy was likely the reason I was foiled this weekend in my quest to add a few new sparrow species to my 2012 bird list.  Mr. sharp-shinned hawk was plying the air around my cabin on both Saturday and Sunday.  I was hard-pressed to find even one unwary junco out and about, let alone anything else.

The local crows spent the weekend alarming the forest, screeching at the sharpie and adding to the cacophany that was also augmented by pileated woodpeckers and blue jays alike.  The little birds hid.  The larger birds were outraged and were not above letting everyone know about their outrage. Even the squirrels got into the act, though their constant chattering did not stop them from foraging at my bird feeders.

Life in the forest is not always quiet and serene.  Sometimes it's as noisy as a chain saw.  This was one of those weekends.