Cooper's Hawk vs the House Sparrows and Butch the Opossum Steals the Peanut Butter Jar

There is a Cooper's Hawk in the trees right of center.  I wouldn't have known either but I saw her fly into the trees from the feeder area carrying a House Sparrow.

Nature taking it's course but I'm just as happy as a flock of approximately 73 House Sparrows has taken over the feeder area on this side of the house and they have run off all of the native birds.

I've never had that happen before.  In my previous experience the House Sparrows and native birds coexist at the feeders.  Not this group.

The Cooper's eats her snack.

She checks me out.

Then she's back watching the feeding area.

She hides her face behind the orange leaf and peers at the feeding area.

Cooper's preens her chest.

Then she's back staring at the sparrows.

Next up-Butch the opossum

Butch arrived tonight circa 2:15 AM in the rain.  He was just finishing lapping up the sugar water in the shredded carrot bowl when I discovered him.  He then chewed a strip of sweetened carrot.

Note how the longer coarse hairs of his coat catch and hold the rain drops.

He then lifted his nose and headed for the peanut butter jar. While we're thinking about it, look at his nose.  As Opossum's have out of the usual mammal characteristics so goes their noses.  Their noses are open on the sides.

Butch took one lick of the peanut butter...

...grabbed the jar by the rim and walked off right.  Just as he disappeared into the dark I heard the cracking of plastic.  Butch was off for a tasty peanut butter treat.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne