Red-tailed hawk

Instead of the hunter, he was now the hunted.

Old Redtail circled in the air just overhead, and every time he caught sight of Shadow, he swooped at him with great cruel claws spread to clutch him.

Shadow dodged around the trunk of the tree.

He was more angry than frightened, for his sharp eyes had by the little hollow in the branch of a chestnut tree, and he knew that once inside of that, he would have nothing to fear.

But he was angry clear through to think that he should be cheated out of that dinner he had been so sure of only a few minutes before.

So he screeched angrily at old Redtail, and then, watching his chance, scampered out to the hollow and whisked inside just in the nick of time.

Chatterer, watching from the spruce tree, gave a great sigh of relief.

He saw Redtail the Huck post himself on top of a tall tree where he could keep watch of that hollow in which Shadow had disappeared, and he knew that it would be a long time before Shadow would dare to poke even his nose outside.

I'm going to read to you the birds that I recorded only in 15 minutes, four days.

Donnie Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood Peewee, Red-Eyed Vireo, Red-Tailed Hawk, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Black-Capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, Barnswell, Wild...

White breasted nuthatch, blue-gray gnatcatcher, American goldfinch, the robin, summer tanager, tufted titmouse, house finch, barred owl, great crested flycatcher, red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-billed cuckoo, wide-eyed vireo, rare in Lawrence, yellow-throated vireo, rare in Lawrence, common grackle, Thank you so much for your comment.

We're going to have to move on.

What Chatterer saw was a big brown bunch near the top of a tall chestnut tree, and he headed for that tree as fast as ever he could go.

What was that big brown bunch? Why, it was Redtail the hawk, who was dozing there with his head drawn down between his shoulders, dreaming.

Now Old Redtail is one of Chatterer's deadliest enemies.

He is quite as fond of red squirrel as is Shadow the weasel, though he doesn't often try to catch one, because there are other things to eat much easier to get.

chatterer had had more than one narrow escape from old redtail and was very much afraid of him yet here he was running up the very tree in which redtail was sitting you see a very daring idea had come into his head he had seen at once that redtail was dozing and hadn't seen him at all He knew that Redtail would just as soon have Shadow the Weasel for dinner as himself, and a very daring plan had popped into his head.

I may as well be caught by Redtail as Shadow, he thought as he ran up the tree, but if my plan works out right I won't be caught by either.

Anyway, it is my very last chance.

Up the tree he scrambled, and after him went Shadow the Weasel.

Yeah.

And Harris Hawks and Red-Tailed Hawks were not part of that.

It would be interesting if there was an ancient history of people flying those birds and what their place in falconry would be if they had.

What do you think, John?

What Chatterer saw was a big brown bunch near the top of a tall chestnut tree, and he headed for that tree as fast as ever he could go.

What was that big brown bunch? Why, it was Redtail the hawk, who was dozing there with his head drawn down between his shoulders, dreaming.

Now Old Redtail is one of Chatterer's deadliest enemies.

He is quite as fond of red squirrel as is Shadow the weasel, though he doesn't often try to catch one, because there are other things to eat much easier to get.

chatterer had had more than one narrow escape from old redtail and was very much afraid of him yet here he was running up the very tree in which redtail was sitting you see a very daring idea had come into his head he had seen at once that redtail was dozing and hadn't seen him at all He knew that Redtail would just as soon have Shadow the Weasel for dinner as himself, and a very daring plan had popped into his head.

I may as well be caught by Redtail as Shadow, he thought as he ran up the tree, but if my plan works out right I won't be caught by either.

Anyway, it is my very last chance.

Up the tree he scrambled, and after him went Shadow the Weasel.

He couldn't be sure until he had tried.

and even then he might escape from one danger only to run right into another equally great what chatterer saw was a big brown bunch near the top of a tall chestnut tree and he headed for that tree as fast as ever he could go what was that big brown bunch why it was redtail the hawk who was dozing there with his head drawn down between his shoulders dreaming Now Old Redtail is one of Chatterer's deadliest enemies.

He is quite as fond of red squirrel as is Shadow the Weasel, though he doesn't often try to catch one because there are other things to eat much easier to get.

chatterer had had more than one narrow escape from old redtail and was very much afraid of him yet here he was running up the very tree in which redtail was sitting you see a very daring idea had come into his head he had seen at once that redtail was dozing and hadn't seen him at all he knew that redtail would just as soon have shadow the weasel for dinner as himself and a very daring plan had popped into his head i may as well be caught by redtail as shadow he thought as he ran up the tree but if my plan works out right i won't be caught by either anyway it is my very last chance Up the tree he scrambled, and after him went Shadow the Weasel.

Shadow had been so intent on catching Chatterer that he had not noticed Old Redtail, which was just as Chatterer had hoped.

Up he scrambled straight past Old Redtail, but as he passed he pulled one of Redtail's long tail feathers and then ran on to the top of the tree, and with the last bit of strength he had left leaped to a neighboring spruce tree where, hidden by the thick branches, he stopped to rest and see what would happen.

of course when he felt his tail pulled old redtail was wide awake in a flash and of course he looked down to see who had dared to pull his tail there just below him was shadow the weasel who had just that minute discovered who was sitting there old redtail hissed sharply and the feathers on the top of his head stood up in a way they do when he is angry and he was angry very angry shadow the weasel stopped short then like a flash he dodged around to the other side of the tree he had no thought of chatterer now things were changed all in an instant quite changed Instead of the hunter he was now the hunted.

Old Redtail circled in the air just overhead, and every time he caught sight of Shadow he swooped at him with great cruel claws spread to clutch him.

Bob White took care not to let her see that he was tickled.

He gravely pointed out to her the fact that Granny and Reddy Fox, Old Man Coyote, and Red-Tailed the Hawk would soon discover that they were living there, and then there would be danger all the time, and they would never know what it was to be free from worry.

"Not a bit more than in the old pasture where we built last year," snapped Mrs.

Bob.

He closed his eyes and lay still for a few minutes panting.

Then a new thought filled him with another terrible fear.

If Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote or Red-Tailed Hawk should happen along, how could he escape without the use of his wings? If only he were not alone.

If only he could reach his father and mother, perhaps they could help him.