HAWK!

[Modeps]

Leaving my house this morning, I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I drove past the front of the house... so I stopped and backed up only to find a hawk standing over something (I couldnt make it out), it must have noticed the car when I backed up because it stopped whatever it was doing and just sat there for a while. Then the 'something' started moving and fighting the hawk... it was another bird about 1/2 the size.

After I got back about an hour later, I walked around the front of my house, found a few piles of feathers full of blood... then was startled as the hawk was still there and flew away when he heard me coming. I rounded the corner to the back only to find the smaller bird with no head and a ripped open chest. The hawk was pretty big though, I wish I had my camera out and got a picture of it. Wingspan must have been about 4 1/2 feet. I disposed of the carcass only to find the head of the small bird located under one of the piles of feathers.

I guess that's nature for ya.

 

[ThePresence]

Was in one of those black colored hawks with bright orange beaks? I see those around, dunno what they are.

 

[ironcrotch]

Yeah a few years back there was a hawk that caught a pigeon and was eating it atop a light pole, it was tearing it apart with feathers flying everywhere. And then it just left the carcas up there and flew off.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Was in one of those black colored hawks with bright orange beaks? I see those around, dunno what they are.

Naw, it was mostly a darkblue/grey color with a white breast. I didnt catch the color of it's beak as it was flying away from me.

 

[ironcrotch]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Was in one of those black colored hawks with bright orange beaks? I see those around, dunno what they are.

Naw, it was mostly a darkblue/grey color with a white breast. I didnt catch the color of it's beak as it was flying away from me.

You should have had a :camera:

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: ironcrotch

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Was in one of those black colored hawks with bright orange beaks? I see those around, dunno what they are.

Naw, it was mostly a darkblue/grey color with a white breast. I didnt catch the color of it's beak as it was flying away from me.

You should have had a :camera:

Already mentioned in first post, I wasnt expecting to see it again

 

[ScottMac]

I've got an American Kestral that lives above the front porch light. It gets cold so I suppose it's good for warming the 'Ol tail feathers in the winter.

It's a neat thing, except for the whitewash job the front porch is getting (+ little felt pellets)

I've got a picture of it sitting on my DSS dish with a mouse in it's talons.

Pretty bird.

There's some other hawks / falcons that work the area near my house. I think they're Red-Tailed Hawks.

FWIW

Scott

 

[Literati]

We actually have alot of hawks around here. They just all started coming here for some reason. (south central ct)

I usually see them in groups or pairs.

I saw one up close, I'm not sure if it was a hawk or a falcon or what. I was on a golf course and I saw it dive bomb a rabbit. This thing must have slammed into that rabbit at like 45 mph. Just total disregard for everything. While everyone else was finishing up the hole I just watched it.

Then I wanted to get closer so I started walking towards it with one of my irons, and it just stopped mangleing the rabbit and looked at me like "OMGWTF do j00 think j00r gonna do 2 me n3rd?!?!"

I was like "This is what! HAH!" and ran like another 3 steps at it to make it think I was gonna plow into it. And it just sat there. It didn't move a quarter of an inch, so I turned around and went back to the cart, I also think it called me gay when I was leaving. (NTTAWWT)

So I sat back on my cart and just watched it. It stopped everything it was doing and just stared at me like a hardass the rest of the time with a rabbit under its foot. Then everyone came back and got in the golf carts and we drove off. I didn't say a word to anyone else and we drove past it at a distance of about 4 feet. No one saw it. And it was right there in the reeds. It just stared me down until I couldn't see it anymore.

It was the size of a professional football.

 

[Wag]

I see Red Tails around here quite a bit.
I saw one knock a big dove off my roof, stand on it for a while, pick it up and fly off.

If you think Red Tails are impressive (our largest Hawk in the US), wait until you see some Bald Eagles up close. 7+ ft wingspans.:Q

 

[jadinolf]

We are also loaded with hawks here. Just look up and see them circling for their next meal.

They also attack birds nests for the young birds or the eggs. They're not fussy.

 

[Wag]

I had a Red Tail land on a branch adjacent to my window. It freaked my cats out! I don't think they know what to do with birds bigger than them.