Angry Birds

I had a big surprise when I went out to lock up the hen house last night. I found a bloody dead hen and a large taloned creature under the nesting box. I had my big leather gloves on and pulled on the legs, feeling claws trying to dig in! Was it an owl? Something had gotten into the hen house and made a kill, and now it looked like it had been attacked as well.

Turns out it was a red tail hawk and it appeared to be stunned. Maybe the roosters did their job and tried to protect the ladies? I took it to the house to show Don and then grabbed the camera and took a few shots outside.

The predator was placed on the picnic table to regroup. When I came back out to take a few more photos it flew to a nearby treetop and appeared to be fine. I hauled the dead chicken down to the creek bottoms thinking it might be a tasty meal for a passerby. The carcass was still out there this morning and wouldn't you know......the red tail was in the tall tree top by the barn waiting for the next target!