Sharp-shinned hawk

[Shetek kid]

I was just watching a youngster snooping around our feeders. The birds were no where to be seen but 5 squirrels carried on like he wasn't there. Hardly any tail waging or squaking, this seems odd or aren't they threatened by the hawk? My Tekiela bird book says they eat small mammals.

[Steve Foss]

By small mammals, Stan probably means primarily mice and voles. The red squirrel (about 4 ounces) will weigh almost as much as the hawk (about 5 ounces), and sharp-shinneds generally take small birds, occasionally mice and voles as well.

I'm not saying a sharp-shinned would never take a red squirrel, just that it's not likely the squirrels would be overly worried about it.