by J ack Sanders

  Many people have problems with birds’ attacking their own reflections in windows, but few experience the predicament Joan Mastro of Wilton hadrecently.

 

A robin had spent a couple of days smashing into the first floor window of her study. On Wednesday, returning from a trip to Stratford, she stopped athome on her way to work.

 

“I entered my house looked to my right and saw something large in myporch: It was a hawk! I couldn’t believe he was in my porch.

 

“I immediately called my husband at work in Ardsley, N.Y. He told me toopen the screen door to let him out. I looked out and saw there was no need forthat as that is where the hawk had entered. He flew into the door and knockedout the top screen that is about 30 by 40 inches and was now on the floor. He could easily fly out through the large opening he had created. Problem was the door is a few feet from our house and he didn’t want to come near the house.

 

“Three sides of the porch are screened in and he kept flying back and forth and landing on the screens facing the back yard. He landed on the tableand every chair on our porch. He watched me taking his picture and video of him flying in my porch but he could not figure how he was going to get out ofthere.

 

“After at least an hour, the weight of him constantly landing on the screen finally caused the screen to separate from the wood, creating a large opening facing the back yard. He flew directly away from the house, not turningleft or right, just straight back as far as he could possibly get from myhouse.”

 

Why had the hawk crashed into the porch? Joan said, “The only reason I  could come up with...was maybe he wanted to attack the robin whose favorite window was right next to the porch.

 

“The robin, of course, was nowhere to be found while the hawk was in my porch and I hoped maybe the scare of seeing him so close to his spot would prevent him from returning. But by Saturday, he was back to his old tricks ofattacking my study window.”

 

The hawk was on the porch so long that Joan was able to email her entire family with pictures while the bird was still there.

 

Dealing with the bird took some time. “Needless to say, I was very late to work, but had some story to tell!”

 

This Red-shouldered Hawk may well have been chasing the robin when it made its blunder, crashing through the screened door. While big hawks like that prefer to capture small mammals on the ground, they will go after birds if an open chase is not involved. Normally, a songbird should be easily able outmaneuver a large hawk, which has a wingspan of up to four feet.

 

Sightings
 

Maura Mottolese of Weed Street in New Canaan had an amazing bird-spotting day Saturday, May 3 — through the kitchen window: an Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female), Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and a House Wren, plus regulars like a Red-tailed Hawk, flicker, Red-bellied, Downy, and Hairy Woodpeckers, Blue Jay, cardinal, Purple Finch, goldfinch, cowbird, robin, Mourning Dove, grackle, starling, chickadee and titmouse. “There are at least two pairs of Orioles in our neighborhood lately, easily identified by their songs, but always high up in the trees,” reports husband Michael.

 

“This week’s color is blue,” says Claire Gladstone of Ridgefield. “Blue Jays and bluebirds are all around, but the most exciting recent arrivals: three male Indigo Buntings!”

 

“We had a lovely male Indigo Bunting all morning at our feeder at Oakridge Condos,” says Pat Kriss of Vista, N.Y. “I haven’t seen one around here for at least 15years. No sign of the female, but I understand the males return to this area first.”

 

Jim Mullen of Ridgefield recently had Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on his feeder. “They stayed for a long time and seem quite relaxed. Not a very nervous bird.”

 

Linda Maggs, also of Ridgefield, was pleased to spot a male Rufous-sided Towhee lastweek.

 

Coming Up

 

Doodletown and Iona Island Bird Walk , just southof Bear Mountain State Park and overlooking the Hudson River, considered an “Important Bird Area,” Saturday, May 17, 6:30 a.m., Saw Mill River Audubon office at914.666.6503 sawmillriveraudubon.org

 

Bird Seed Sale, Saturday, May 17, 9:30-12:30, Saw Mill River Audubon, at Pruyn Sanctuary in Chappaqua(914-666-6503) sawmillriveraudubon.org

 

Early morning Bird Walks , with Tait Johansson, Tuesdays and Thursdays in May, 7:30 a.m., for schedule, email Joan Becker, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org or call (914) 232-4806.

 

Birdwalks with Luke Tiller , mostly Saturdays at 8 a.m.:   $10 each; to register, www. sunrisebirding. com/ walks.htm; 203-981-9924, luke.tiller @gmail.com.

 

Copyright (c) 2008 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to:jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message withyour report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. Ifyou need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find aninjured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding,203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings ofGreenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.