On Sunday, 2 April 2017, I was the witness to a bird crime in my backyard. What follows is my statement of the events as I observed them.

Suspect	Victim
	A male Downy Woodpecker. A frequent visitor to my backyard feeders. Enjoys feasting on peanuts. Typically flies to the peanut feeder to get a peanut then flies to the nearby tree to eat the peanut.
A female Northern Cardinal. Not a frequent visitor to my backyard feeders. Typically eats peanuts that fall to the ground. Usually hangs out in the tree nearby the feeders. The same tree used by the Downy Woodpecker.
Original Photo	Original Photo

Witnesses Statement

On 2 April 2017 I observed the suspect looking for peanuts on the ground.

Original Photo

Not finding any on the ground the suspect cased the peanut feeder. The suspect perched herself atop a nearby feeder pole and watched birds getting peanuts from the feeder.

Original Photo

A little while later I saw the suspect in a nearby tree still keeping watch on the peanut feeder.

Original Photo

Shortly after spotting the suspect in the tree I observed the victim at the peanut feeder getting a peanut.

Original Photo

The victim flew back to the tree's trunk where he normally eats the peanut. However, once the victim arrived the suspect moved in on the victim's position. I couldn't see the scuffle clearly but the suspect emerged with the victim's peanut.

Victim's Statement

I knew the suspect was watching the peanut feeder longingly wanting a peanut. When I secured a peanut from the feeder, I flew back to the tree where I normally eat the peanut. The suspect then joyfully met me at the tree's trunk where I gave the suspect the peanut.

Suspect's Statement

I had arranged with the alleged victim to obtain a peanut from the feeder for me. The alleged victim obtained a peanut and brought it back to the agreed upon rendezvous place. The alleged victim gave me the peanut of his own free will.

Hmmmm...

The victim's and suspect's statement seem to agree. Maybe the Northern Cardinal is not a thief.

Thank You!

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