The hawks were vocal and present early this morning when I went outside to do my pool chores.

However, at some point between then and the time I returned home in the late afternoon, having a pair of hawks in residence in the backyard lost all of its charm for Mrs. Blather. For one thing, all of our familiar bird friends who frequent our patio bird feeder were staying the heck away. The mated pair of cardinals that have been pretty much a permanent fixture at the feeder since January are nowhere to be seen.

Then Mrs. Blather saw one of the hawks finishing off a meal of some poor creature from our private backyard ecosystem; and that was it. Apparently she grabbed a skimmer net on a long pole and with a mighty hand drove the wing-ed invaders from our domain. (Possibly violating several federal statutes if they were a protected species.)

They have stayed gone, too–obviously considering the enticement of fresh water and abundant squirrels and lizards not worth the risk of being attacked by a crazy woman with a net.

This backyard is once again a raptor-free zone.