Then THAT'S the answer!! I actually saw a sharp-shinned hawk a few weeks ago (first time I'd even seen one in our woods -- I was very pleased to be able to identify it). I didn't see this altercation until the two birds were "wrestling" in the snow and I'd have sworn it was one of the mourning doves atop the jay, but your theory makes much more sense. Whatever it was definitely carried the jaw off -- poor jay (and I don't love jays) dangling by its wing and squawking frantically. They both dropped into the snow (for a better grip?) a short ways from my garden, then took off again and only by chance (or an extreme fight by the jay or maybe, my frantic yelling??) did the jay get released. The jay flew back to our pine tree and seems fine. Is that possible? To get hauled off into the hair, hanging by one wing, and still live to tell about it? Amazing! Just curious, how large a prey will a sharp-shinned hawk take on? What about a small cat? Do I need to worry now that I know there's a sharp-shinned in the area? (My cat goes out midday, never out for long ... maybe I'll keep him in?!) Thanks so much for the information -- I am positive you are right. Now I feel guilty for blaming the doves... :(

frmbritt - it's best if you start a new post/thread. You'll get more responses. Feeding birds can become a challenge when certain birds dominate your feeders. I struggle with this too (I get a lot of blackbirds). To prevent doves you need feeders they can't use. I could suggest a tube feeder with perches. The fat doves can't land on the perches. They also have tube feeders and suet feeders with cages around them. This prevents bigger birds from entering and allows smaller birds access (like a bluebird). The not so fun part is buying new/more feeders. I'm going thru this now.... Just when I thought I was good on feeders, now I'm buying caged feeders, and they aren't cheap.

Wonderful! You sure are quick with your camera. And so lucky - it seems your birds trust you. :) I especially like the ones where the bluejay and the titmouse have a seed in the beak. And the song sparrow - there is something about a bird with his mouth open that moves me. ~JoAnn

Thanks to you both, Lazygardens and bluegirl, I believe you are both right and I will continue to enjoy the mockingbirds and blue jays from the yard. I have two hummer feeders, two little bird feeders and one large bird feeder. Ive been spoiled by having the other birds being so close to the window, they have become personal to the cats and myself, being just inches to a few feet on the other side of the window. Right now, I have daily visits from about seventy to eighty mixed birds and hummers. House finches - two females and one male came in early spring, I think they were from last year, but they were new to me, I thought they were some kind of sparrow, I did a goggle search for a red headed sparrow, it came back with pictures and the name house finch, they had seven offspring. They stay at the feeders. Titmice are my favorite. One set of parents and four youngsters have three females and one male, going by the size of the black patches on their forehead. Cardinals mom, dad and five young, three males and two females, all hatched in late spring, mom had a large brood this year, seems like they will stay together, papa and momma is always close. In the early spring we had a good number of blue birds with a pinkish chest, and a yellow finch, haven't seen the blue bird since the middle of spring, any idea where the blue bird went would be helpful. The yellow finch will show up every two or three weeks. The hummers are another story, I have no idea how many females there are from one day to the next, but there have been at least six males from time to time, since they are in a constant chase with the females, I can get a pretty accurate count on the males, I have had as many as six females outside the window at once. Thanks again