The morning call., 1890-09-10
RUNNING BIRDS ATTACK A HAWK
They Quite BewiIder ,he Big Robber,
and King Bird Lends n Helping Bill.

They Quite Bewilder Vie Big Robber,
and King Bird Lends n Helping Bill.
Hiram c. Judson of Paradise Valley,
Scranton, Pa, became interested one
Sunday this summer in the movements Of a
pair Of humming birds that were slipping
sweets from the blossoms of a honeysuckle
vine that trailed up the side of the house.
lie was leaning out of window few feet
from where the tiny birds were darting from
flower to flower, when the stiffness was
broken by the loud squawk of a mother hen,
who had been scratching around rose bush
with her brood of chickens a short distance
away. The little feathered honey gatherers,
whose nest hung from the limb of spruce
tree in the yard, paid no attention to the
hens warning squall, buzzing here and there
among the mass of honeysuckles, and sip
ping away as though they were used to that
kind of noise.
Suddenly large hen hawk swoopeG down,
brushed the edge of the rose bush with its
right wing and clawed up enc Of the chickens
in twinkling Then the mother hen gave
vent to another startled squall. flew at the
hawk and tore out a few OF its feathers. AT
this the hnmming birds shot away from the
honey suckie vine and went buZZIng past the
window like two bullets from gun, and the
next thing Mr.. Judson saw of them they
We're striking the hawk on each side of its
head with their pointed little bills.
The big bird had risen several feet above
the ground and was being bothered in its
flight by some overhanging limbs, when the
humming birds darted at its head. while the
chicken in its claws was peeping at the top
of its voice, and the old hen was fiuttering
around the yard in great distress, squaling
as hard as she could and vainly trying to fly
up to the bold chicken thief.
When the tiny fighters first hit the hawk
on the head, it Instantly released Its hold on
the chicken and worked itself loose from the
mass OF twigs above its wings. As il arose,
the fierce little birds repeatedly darted
yiciOusly at its head. hitting the mark at
every dart. They fought 1t SO fast and hard
that the hawk soon became bewildered,
seemingly not knowing which way to 90.
Instead of soaring aloft to great height or
sailing away to the forest on the hillside. the
big bird tried to get beyond the reach of the
sharp beaks of its spunky little tormentors
by flying back and forth over the farm build
ings. The hummng birds had no mercy on
the hawk, and they kept darting at its head
till it screamed.
Among the topmost branches of tall elm
tree Is one of Mr.. Judson's meadows a pair
of king birds had been watching out for the
hawks and crows during the long summer
days. The nest was in the top of the elm,
ana the female was sitting at the time. No
sooner lad the hawk screamed than the male
king bird sailed from his lofty perch, gave
vent to Il series of shrill cries. and flew to a
| point directly above the hawk. 'iheu it
| dived like fash and struck the big bird on
| the back, rising IN an instant ana dong the
same thing again. The hawk had been on
the move all the time, but the king birds
violent attack scared il into swifter action.
and Just as the king bird had made its third
| dive the chicken-thief started on bee line
| fer the woods, and the humming birds shot
| back to the yard and went out of sight in a
spruce tree. The pugnacous king bird
| chased the cOwardly hawk clear to the edge
of the Woodland striking it a number of
times on the way. Then it sailed back to
the tall elm, and in few minutes the hum
ming birds were around the honeysucke
bush again, and the old hen was cucking
around with one less chicken than she was
| scratching for when the feathered warfare
| began