Along the ski trail is a farm. On that farm is a chicken coop. In that chicken coop is one less chicken. I apologize to those faint of heart, but this is an example of natural selection and survival of the fittest the way it's been since the beginning of time and the way it will be until the end of time. So when you next marvel at the beauty of hawks and eagles as you see them soaring above, remember that this is how they stay alive. Unlike those silly hens who will always need protection since they just weren't given the skills to compete with the big boys.
I have several friends in Sudbury and Lincoln who supply me with fresh eggs and one of their greatest struggles is keeping their brood safe from predators.
3 comments:
This is a beautiful bird. I know its hard on the farmers to loose a chicken but can't blame the hawk.
In juveniles, head heavily streaked grayish brown and white or grayish brown and tawny on crown, nape, and sides of neck, with a pale superciliary stripe.
In adult (Definitive Basic) male upperparts, including wings and tail, bluish gray to slate, becoming slightly darker on the crown. Tail crossed by 3–5 visible slaty bands and narrowly tipped white. Tail usually appears square in shape when folded, but often appears slightly rounded when spread. Open wing appears dark above but whitish below with remiges boldly banded with black. Underparts primarily whitish and heavily barred with rufous or tawny on breast, belly, side, and flanks. Adult female similar in coloration, but upperparts more brownish olive and underparts less heavily barred than in males (Brown and Amadon 1968). Wings relatively short and rounded. Legs and toes yellow, long and sticklike with tarsometatarsus laterally compressed, hence the name “sharp-shin.” Eyes red. Adult plumages similar throughout year.
The big thing is the slate gray coloring and the pencil thin legs and the square tail and shorter wings.
You can copy and paste this URL into your browser and see a small photo of a youngster's head.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s208/popslinc/hawks/sharp-shinnedhawk.jpg
So, I think it is a sharp-shin. Thanks Abe. I figured if anyone knew, you would.
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