As I nestled into my hiding place to take some pics of my feathered friends, I noticed an almost complete calm in the yard. No fluttering of songbirds, no chirping or singing, just complete silence. Sometimes it's like that, but this was the busy time when most birds came to the feeders. As I moved my gaze from side to side, I noticed a slight movement just over my fence in my neighbor's yard. That's when I discovered the source of silence, the enforcer, the dread pirate Roberts, waiting patiently for something to move, something to eat.
I don't know if he is a red-shouldered or red-tailed hawk (Merlin says he is both? and 6 different experts on line have claimed him to be everything from red-tailed to red-shouldered to sharp-shinned to cooper's hawk ). Suffice it to say he is a hawk, but I don't think he was looking for birds, I have had hawks in the yard before and they usually nab a squirrel, for which I personally think they deserve a medal. Whatever kind of hawk he is, he flew away and the singing of the songbirds returned. The little guys are very cautious when they sense one is near because some hawks do eat other birds, they sometimes warn each other when one is near. Blue jays even mimic the hawks screech when they see them, so others can beware. The "Source of Silence"paid a visit to my backyard today in the heart of the piedmont of North Carolina, naturally.
"Screee! Screee! Screee! hear him very near
Quickly, hide those which you hold most dear
The master of the skies which causes all to hide
Has sent his cry to let you know that he will now abide
Silently he glides to a high limb he has found
Patiently and quiet, he sits and scours around
If nothing moves, then neither doth a move make he
With unruffled silence he waits up in the tree
If nothing stirs, he tires and plans to fly
For silence means that all have heard his cry
He leaps and bounds to find another tree
Where the source of silence is not yet found to be"
