Bunny, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and a Very Unexpected Great Blue Heron Meal

For two days Bunny has changed her point of view by hanging out in the FRONT yard under the lilacs.

And one of the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks has decided that the feeder on the west side of the house is better than the busier feeders on the east side.  Unfortunately the wavy glass in this window is even wavier the ones overlooking the other feeding area.  Due to the window glass, the seed area in front of him looks downright psychedelic.

 Grosbeaks really do have heavy duty beaks.

Grosbeak is finishing up a sunflower seed, when suddenly...

 He leaps into the air and bugs out. ???   Giving us a great view of his under wing color patches on the way.  But what's the emergency?

The emergency turns out to be a Red-winged Blackbird who was determined to take Grosbeak's spot under the feeder.

 
Next up.... from longtime reader and contributor Betty Jo McDonald.

Did you know that Great Blue Heron's eat gophers?

We didn't either.  

Check out the link below for a video of the aforementioned activity.

https://www.facebook.com/jessie.garza.33/videos/10204262495191468/

 See the bunny, center, under the lilac trees. Look for ears. Well when I first spied the bunny there were two.  The second under the lilac (far right) with the bare limbs close to the ground.

When I returned, second Bunny had taken a powder.  DRAT!

Wait!  There she is.  This bunny looks like the one we've seen before.  We'll call her Mom Bunny for now.  Originally I'd thought the first bunny looked smallish.

But on closer inspection, I'd say that's a grown rabbit as well.  Hmm.  Conceivably a possible mate for Mom?

And here's Mom.  She's letting me walk round her from a distance.

That's our original Bunny from the last few weeks.  See the very distinct "eyebrow" and the rufous fur on the nap of her neck?

That's her alright.

 I'm carefully walking round at a distance in order to possibly get another picture of the original rabbit in the lilacs.  I hear planes over head.

 I look up for a moment to check out the aircraft.

When I look down again, both rabbits are gone.  Like successful prey animals they pay attention to the "predators" eyes.

So when I looked up at the planes, the rabbits took their chance and skedaddled.

And last but not least,  the fascinating video by Jesse Garza of a Great Blue Heron eating something quite unexpected, discovered by longtime reader and contributor Betty Jo McDonald of California.

https://www.facebook.com/bettyjo.mcdonald.5?fref=ts

Happy Hawking!

Donegal Browne