Suburban Wildlife (Hawk vs. Squirrel)

So, this morning at work I happen to look out the back door and perched on the 3′ high chain-link fence at the edge of the yard is a young Cooper’s Hawk. Then I see the gray squirrel blithely going about his squirrel business right in front of me, just beyond the patio and think: “Uh-oh… That hawk is about to kill that squirrel, and I’ve got a front row seat.”

Sure enough, I wasn’t the only one watching the squirrel and Mr. Hawk swoops low across the yard and makes a grab for Mr. Squirrel who retreats under a nearby bush. Undeterred the hawk (now on foot) flares his wings and tries to flush the squirrel out. A couple of times the hawk does manage to drive the squirrel from under the bush and tries to pounce on him, but each time the squirrel dashes safely back under the bush. The hawk then flew back to his perch on the fence to re-evaluate the situation.

I watched, transfixed, as the squirrel casually strolled into the (very exposed) center of the yard, proudly carrying some sort of a nut. Again the hawk swoops across the yard and the squirrel runs for the trees and bushes at the rear fence line. The hawk cuts him off and again plunges down at him when the squirrel suddenly springs straight up about three feet into the air! Three or four times the hawk jumps back into the air and attempts to drop on the squirrel and each time the squirrel springs straight up, like some sort of spring-loaded cartoon character. Finally the squirrel jumps onto the top of the fence near the safety of some tall bushes and the hawk gives up, flying straight toward me and passing low over the house.

It was truly breathtaking watching this drama play out right in front of me (much of it within 10 feet of me). I can’t help but feel that Mr. Squirrel’s brash behavior won’t turn out as well if he’s faced with an older, savvier hawk. In the meantime, however, he has a heck of a tale to tell all of his squirrel buddies down at the squirrel hardware store (or wherever it is that they go to swap stories).