Chipmunk: 1, Stupid Bird: 0

Ok, so the other day I was sitting in class and staring out the window into the courtyard like I always do. This particular class happens to be on the second floor of the building and so the view that I get is particularly nice and expansive; if it wasn't so expansive, I probably never would have noticed what happened next.

Unlike normal, the courtyard was fairly devoid of people (it being almost freezing out and all) and so I was watching this pigeon-sized bird slowly meander around the grass. Out of nowhere comes this chipmunk running full speed and heading directly for the bird. My first impulse when I see something like this, is that the chipmunk was startled by a person or the wind or frankly anything at all (since chipmunks are generally jumpy) and that it was simply attempting to get as far away from the offending object as possible. The bird seemed to share my assumptions. How wrong we both were...

Instead of bolting for the nearest bush, the chipmunk bolted directly at the bird and just about knocked it over. Luckily, the bird sensed something was wrong shortly before the crazed-chipmunk got to it and managed to flutter a bit out of the way. Obviously the bird thought the chipmunk had merely made a mistake and would continue on its merry way once the bird had the good sense to remove itself from the its path. Error number two on the part of the bird. The chipmunk, managing to defy physics and lose absolutely no momentum at all, turned around and set itself on a path for the bird again; it was at this point that I believe the bird realized that it was in trouble.

Again and again, the bird attempted to flutter out of the chipmunk's way only to be thwarted by the heat-seeking rodent. It was clear that perhaps the bird had made an impolite comment or two about the chipmunk's mother and the chipmunk was having none of it. I watched their intricate little dance of *dart-flutter*, *dart-flutter* around the courtyard for at least 30-45 seconds. Finally, the bird realizing that it had WINGS decided to actually fly OUT of the courtyard at which point the chipmunk, satisfied that it had defend whatever honor chipmunks have, returned to cowering under some bush.

Those of you who know me can attest to the fact that I am a dear lover of animals; I make whatever time I can to observe their behavior and try to understand what drives them. I can honestly say that I have NEVER seen a chipmunk chase anything much less a bird several times its size. I now hesitate to go outside for fear that one of these rabid, furry meat-bullets will come out of nowhere and attempt to take revenge on my shoes or perhaps ankles. Of course, I have been under a lot of stress recently; perhaps I hallucinated the entire thing...