200+ MoDos hung out in the roughly cut corn field across from our house
(Route 23, Weybridge for most of November. Once the field was plowed, they
moved to another field farther east.  At our feeder I am counting 20+ at one
time, along with one Sharpie who blew through a week ago.
Happy New Year,
Barbara Brosnan

-----Original Message-----
From: Vermont Birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nancy Turner
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 8:00 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VTBIRD] Sharpie and MODOs

I've had about a dozen Mourning Doves at my feeders this year; also more
than usual. On two consecutive days this week, a Sharp-Shinned Hawk consumed
Mourning Doves picked off from below the feeders. I was trying to confirm
that it was a Sharpie as opposed to a Cooper's Hawk when a crow flew in and
provided a very useful size comparison. Thank you Crow for your timely
arrival; the Sharpie was MUCH smaller than the crow.  Two other
observations:  The first day, the chickadees gathered in an apple tree
immediately above the hawk that remained on the ground to consume the MODO.
The chickadees were in the tree for about 5 minutes and then resumed feeding
at the feeders.  I thought at first that they wouldn't visit the bird
feeders while the hawk was around, but they did and the hawk remained for
several hours.  Secondly, on day two, the dove was not immediately killed.
The Hawk stood on the back of the dove and took off the dove's primary
feathers first. I'm assuming it did this so that the dove couldn't fly. I've
seen piles of feathers in our yard at various times. now I have a better
understanding of what happened!

Nancy Turner
Waitsfield