Lunch is served

This morning we counted eight male cardinals at once at our feeder out back. Countless other small birds fluttered around along with them: house finches, goldfinches, female cardinals, nuthatches and chickadees, red bellied and downy woodpeckers. “If a Cooper’s hawk showed up right now, he’d be on overload,” I remarked.

Obligingly, he appeared on the swingset.

He didn’t get anybody while we watched. After snapping these pics, I let Younger Daughter go outside and he startled and flew away.

How can I be so fascinated by both the songbirds and the hawk that hunts them?