Various Difficulties Are Apparent Out In Birdland

Tonight (August 1), I brought seed out to the patch where I feed pigeons, sparrows, doves, and the occasional scrub jay (my favorite), when Klutz the Hawk decided to attack. The birds scattered as dive-bombing Klutz suffered a split second of indecision about which bird to follow, equivocated, and flew directly into an ivy-covered chain link fence. By the time Klutz pulled himself out of the ivy, all the other birds were gone. 

Last night, Jasper and I walked past a crow drinking water from a gutter, but the crow didn’t flee as we approached. Something was wrong with this crow. This morning, I saw a dead crow a short distance away. Probably the same crow. 

I called the West Nile virus control people, but they asked if I would pick up the crow, put it in a plastic bag, and take it home for later pickup. I reluctantly agreed, but by the time I returned this evening, someone else had already disposed of the crow. West Nile is out there, so beware!