1 September 26
Drama in the Persimmon Tree
The cats often alert us to interesting, but silent, things going on in the garden. In this case, Esme was fixated on an immature Cooper’s hawk perched in the persimmon tree outside. There is a family of California scrub-jays that our neighbor feeds with peanuts daily; I’m sure this was what the young raptor was looking for. (Silence from the hedge in which the jays had their nest earlier in the year.)
Because the bird perched for a good long while, I was able to make the initial drawing (which I painted) and then made several other quick sketches, including this hummingbird that fearlessly harassed the hawk. (Because hummingbirds, alone of all birds, can fly backwards, this is less risky than it sounds.)
Previous: A Crisis With the Kit Next: