The early bird gets eaten for breakfast

I was sitting on the couch knitting Sunday morning when I heard a sound I'd not heard in the yard before. It was the sound of a bird I was familiar with, but never expected to see in my backyard.

Sure enough, when I looked out the back door, there was a red tailed hawk sitting on my fence. I shouldn't be surprised, we are only a kilometer or two from the Niagara Escarpment, which is habitat to many birds of prey.

Sadly, by the time I got back with the camera, he was gone. I went out to fill the bird feeder and the yard was eerily quite. No birds chirping in the trees. No squirrels rustling along the fence. If I wasn't looking closely, I would have missed poor Bunbun cowering in the bushes. And no wonder

Looks like some poor sparrow just wasn't fast enough. 

I kept the camera close by in case he returned, but it was quiet for the rest of the morning. The feeder went unattended until about 2 p.m. when the sparrows finally returned, followed shortly by the morning doves.

The hawk never did come back, but Mr. Jay made a very noisy appearance.

and I was finally able to get a couple shots.

And Mr. Cardinal was a little bolder than usual too.

I love my backyard!