A Brown Thrasher Conflict
Two Brown Thrashers also were moving around in the branches of the white oaks near the house, and one sang for four or five minutes, then fell silent. A few minutes later, one of the Brown Thrashers suddenly hurtled out of the oaks in a loud, fierce squabble and tangle with something. Because of the cries – which sounded alarmed and hurt – at first I thought it must have been caught by a small hawk, but it wasn’t. It happened so quickly I never saw what the other bird was – only a feathered, furious ball of the two flying out and falling to the ground together – but I think it was probably the other Thrasher. If so, their conflict sounded and looked pretty serious. One Brown Thrasher flew away – I did not see what happened to the other bird, but it must also have flown, in a different direction.