Today I had three hawks sitting around for a quick meal. They can see a tiny mouse from a long distance away. Yesterday I saw a gopher out of his hole looking for a place to hide. On the next round I saw the gopher going for a ride hanging under a hawk. It's a cruel world out there. Stan
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John in Mich
Well-known Member
- Location
- Ypsilanti, Michigan
We like to watch the hawks. There is a nesting pair nearby. Yesterday morning I walked out of the garage and one took off out of a Hickory tree next to my house and another one then took off from another tree about 100 feet away.
We have chipmonks, squirls, rabbits, mice, small snakes around the yard all the time. Several years ago we had a hawk decide to take a rest on the deck railing outside the kitchen window.
Also one year, a hawk had caught a rabbit in our front yard. It was trying to pluck the fur until it saw me. Then it grabbed the rabbit and tried to take off. Ha ha. It barely drug the rabbit for 30 to 40 feet before it got enough altitude to get over the fence into the wild growth next door.
We have chipmonks, squirls, rabbits, mice, small snakes around the yard all the time. Several years ago we had a hawk decide to take a rest on the deck railing outside the kitchen window.
Also one year, a hawk had caught a rabbit in our front yard. It was trying to pluck the fur until it saw me. Then it grabbed the rabbit and tried to take off. Ha ha. It barely drug the rabbit for 30 to 40 feet before it got enough altitude to get over the fence into the wild growth next door.
Centerplate
Member
- Location
- Green County Wi
A few years ago my wife and I watched a Cooper hawk grab a red bellied woodpecker, pulled it into the lilac bush an devoured it. Life and death is a common event in nature.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
When we were combining wheat in Idaho the hawks were circling us most of the time. The irrigated wheat was seeded almost twice as thick as dryland wheat and it had plenty of kangaroo rats hiding in the cover. Watching a hawk swoop down on a furry meal was entertaining at first but got to be a routine sight after we had been there a week or so. Toward evening the hawks would perch on the irrigation pivots, up to five or six at one time. I dont know where they went after dark with no trees to perch on. Here in Iowa I watched a younger hawk tackle a rabbit but when the flopping and flailing was over the rabbit got away. For awhile the hawk was laying on its side while holding the rabbit but it couldnt hold on long enough. Nature is fun to watch for us who have the opportunity to see the action.
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
There is a small city lake I sometimes go to for lunch.
There's always an assortment of water fowl feeding on and around the lake.
On occasion there have been a few hawks that make the rounds looking for a meal.
It's really strange, I can tell when a hawk is around, every bird, even the begging ducks, suddenly disappear!
I don't know where they go or how they get there so quick, but as soon as the danger passes they start coming back, back to work feeding.
I've never seen a hawk successfully get one either.
They are some really observant creatures!
There's always an assortment of water fowl feeding on and around the lake.
On occasion there have been a few hawks that make the rounds looking for a meal.
It's really strange, I can tell when a hawk is around, every bird, even the begging ducks, suddenly disappear!
I don't know where they go or how they get there so quick, but as soon as the danger passes they start coming back, back to work feeding.
I've never seen a hawk successfully get one either.
They are some really observant creatures!
We have had a pair of Stellar's Jays living here for several years- build nests at various places, and they are the worst nest builders in the world. Dad goes out and gets a bunch of sticks and just kind of piles them somewhere. Mom apparently comes and gives her opinion, and if she's not happy with it, he builds another stack somewhere else. They eventually settle on one, and that's her nest, for better or for worse.
Anyway, I was a little upset a couple days ago because apparently one of our cats got one of the jays. Feathers on the garage approach. Well, I guess life is hard. But yesterday, I saw the pair doing their random nest building, so maybe the one that got collected was an encroacher. Either that, or the survivor of the two is really handy with the ladies/gentlemen and quickly replaced the unfortunate mate after a few minutes of mourning.
Anyway, I was a little upset a couple days ago because apparently one of our cats got one of the jays. Feathers on the garage approach. Well, I guess life is hard. But yesterday, I saw the pair doing their random nest building, so maybe the one that got collected was an encroacher. Either that, or the survivor of the two is really handy with the ladies/gentlemen and quickly replaced the unfortunate mate after a few minutes of mourning.
I had something similar. I was mowing a little 2 acre piece of grass that was a big wet spot and a hill. When I came around the third time, a hawk had found a small rabbit and was eating on it. The hawk saw me and grabbed his meal and tried to take off down the hill. He barely got in the air when the rabbit hit the ground and the hawk crashed azz over tin cups. That happened 3 times, I guess he thought if some rabbit was in his belly it would be lighter? In a short time I was finished and left him in peace to eat his lunch.
It is also funny when round baling and a field mouse ends up on the outside of a bale under some twine and a hawk is trying to take off with it and flops on his face. Apparently the hawk can NOT lift the field mouse AND a round bale at the same time. Go figure!
It is also funny when round baling and a field mouse ends up on the outside of a bale under some twine and a hawk is trying to take off with it and flops on his face. Apparently the hawk can NOT lift the field mouse AND a round bale at the same time. Go figure!
When mowing hay I have run through the haybine a pheasant who would not abandon her nest and various other small animals not to my delight. But one day I was mowing hay and I saw a mama deer staying close to some uncut hay so I suspected she had some babies near by. I found them and put them out on some cut hay. The next round they were gone and mama was building a nest in the standing hay and they were gone so I had to rescue them again. 2 days later when I was raking the hay 2 little baby deer came out from a little timber along side the hay field and followed me a little ways. They did this 2 times that day. I think they imprinted on my JD 4440 and thought the tractor was Daddy!
I just got done installing livestock panels on the top of my newly constructed chicken yard for that reason. A few years back I notice a big hawk hanging around my place appearing to be eyeballing my old chicken yard, I then installed some panels on top of it. The neighbor claims he lost about half his flock of 30 over a period of time to some big bird.
Wednesday I was cutting grass and almost ran over a fawn that barely had enough legs to get away from me. It went into some brush to find shelter and I found another place to mow hoping it would find its way back to where the doe left it. Ten minutes later here come a coyote walking twenty feet right in front of me coming from the direction of where I disturbed the fawn. Ain’t seen hide nor hair of either one since. I expect I’m one less fawn. Between coyotes and traffic I’m just about out of deer.
Believe it or not, when I grew up NE Montana, on the DRY dryland, we had
seagulls follow the tillage equipment. It was amazing to see them glide behind
a disc or toolbar for the length of a one mile long field, and I swear,
never once flap a wing!!
We always figured they came from Ft. Peck Dam.
seagulls follow the tillage equipment. It was amazing to see them glide behind
a disc or toolbar for the length of a one mile long field, and I swear,
never once flap a wing!!
We always figured they came from Ft. Peck Dam.
I was out cutting hay one day and was watching a hawk being dive bombed by several small birds. He was just flying along and they would dive and hit it on the back. I was wondering how much he would take when on the next round there he was sitting on a fence post having a lunch of a small bird.
You all know how fish work right? If the smaller fish will fit in the mouth of the larger fish it is fair game. A friend of mine was pike fishing when he saw a bald eagle dive into the water. He thrashed and thrashed on the water for 45 seconds to a minute. He finally flew to the edge of the lake and just laid on the ground with its wings spread out. Later this friend caught a large pike and it had marks all up and down it's side. They wondered how big the fish was that was trying to eat this one. Then they decided that it was the eagle got a hold on it and the fight was on. It was big enough the eagle couldn't carry it or else the eagle got a hold of the fish and the fish got a hold of the eagle and the fight was on.
Steven
You all know how fish work right? If the smaller fish will fit in the mouth of the larger fish it is fair game. A friend of mine was pike fishing when he saw a bald eagle dive into the water. He thrashed and thrashed on the water for 45 seconds to a minute. He finally flew to the edge of the lake and just laid on the ground with its wings spread out. Later this friend caught a large pike and it had marks all up and down it's side. They wondered how big the fish was that was trying to eat this one. Then they decided that it was the eagle got a hold on it and the fight was on. It was big enough the eagle couldn't carry it or else the eagle got a hold of the fish and the fish got a hold of the eagle and the fight was on.
Steven
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Yesterday was the first time I had birds of prey accompany me cutting for a very long time. I enjoy the company. On the day after, I have crows and buzzards combing the field.
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