Hi
This afternoonI witnessed one of the most amazing and sad birding sights I have ever seen.
I had just been out to feed the birds as I usually do about 2:45pm each day, Icame back in and sat down ready to jot down my sightings when I noticed I had not filled up the hummingbird feeder, so out Iwent onto the deck and filled it to the brim as we have many Anna’s Hummingbirds coming in. It is not uncommon for the dominant males to fight and chase anything that comes near and today was no exception, just one large female was left in peace as she sat in the plum tree and watched as the big male sucked up the new juice at the feeder. From where I was sitting Icould not see all the feeder so I asked my wife if she could see the bird and as she looked all the other species of birds which were down on the ground feeder and up in the trees scattered, I just caught a flash of white and was not sure what I had seen, but whatever it was landed in a big fir next door. I quickly lifted up my binoculars to see what it was and I was shocked at what I saw, a adult Northern Shrike had just caught my best adult male Anna’s Hummingbird, it had took it clean off the feeder in a split second. As I looked the poor hummer was still alive flapping its wings while held firmly in the mouth of the shrike, I was staggered by what we had just witnessed, the sadness that I felt for this wonderful little bird was to put it mildly, too much, just when it was time to spread his genes around all the lonely females its life was taken.
To make matters worse the shrike then descended into our plum and devoured the lifeless little hummer; all this taking place in full view of the female who sat looking around watching what was taking place. I went out to see if there were any remnants of the hummer on the ground as the shrike had obviously finished as it was wiping it’s bill on a branch, but not a scrap was found so Ican only assume the shrike had ate everything; it sat there looking at me even after I tried to frighten it off. Another male hummer came into the feeder seising the chance to get a drink, little did he know that he was now the king and it would be up to him to take over the harem of our local sub-division.
This is not the first time something like this has happened at my feeders, once in Ontario I watched as a adult Coopers Hawk attacked and caught a male Northern Cardinal; back then I felt the same sadness as I felt for the poor hummer.
I am not sure if this type of attack has ever been documented before, but I doubt if I will ever witness this again, having said this the Northern Shrike is now stationed in the top of a fir tree being attacked by another hummer, how amazing is that.
Derrick