A Bird Post

I intended to do a post about the Flora and Fauna of Leavenworth 

County today, but I had so many good bird pictures I decided to change it. 

Keith and I came across this guy after doing chores Sunday morning... he was 

perched on the fence pole where I have seen him several times before, outside the 

big horse pasture I pass twice daily.  There are woods nearby, for cover, and 

he has a lot of room to see the little creatures he's hunting. 

He's a modest owl.  

This group of two toms, two jakes and a hen also had about four more hens out of camera range on the right.  

Yes, the hunters are out... and yes, that bird in the picture got away. 

As we were leaving the old house this afternoon after getting the eggs and doing chores... 

I saw something in the sky and grabbed the camera. 

Crows do not like hawks.  

Three crows were out to get this guy. 

They meant business. 

The hawk was diving and jeuking around. 

All of the sudden, the crows fled! 

And a pair of vultures flew over, in lazy circles. 

The thing was, they were very, very low... and I had already had a scare at the henspa. 

You may have to biggify this to see it.  Around the lower part of the six foot high henspa fence, there 

is a "layer" of poultry wire, zip-tied to the chainlink.  I bent about six inches out as it hit the 

ground, so that the dogs could not dig through.  I obviously did not pay attention this morning... 

something tried to dig in, and the poultry wire was loose in this area, which is right by the gate into the yard.  The zip ties were two years old, and popped off... so... I pulled the poultry wire to 

the chainlink, zip tied everything anew... and put something over the hole that had 

been dug that canine paws cannot move. 

You probably don't remember, but these crazy chickens I am watching are not like my flocks, they do not go inside at night, except for one hen that IS roosting inside (I can tell from the poop) and 

one hen who is brooding eggs.  They sleep in the dog house that I kept in this yard for the ducks. 

I'm hoping I don't go out there some morning soon and see a yard full of feathers. 

I have been leaving the front gate open, I may have to close it now.  

Could have been a fox, too. 

The wild birds are still coming, too. 

And this male cardinal looked like he was telling me to GET LOST!