32Yesterday while working at my desk, I heard a cacophony of bird calls which were clearly sounding an alarm. I thought it might be a cat, but the noise was unusually loud and persistent. A snake, maybe? After watching a few minutes, I saw that a small Cooper's Hawk had landed in the yard. The birds were right to sound a warning because this predator was looking to put one of them on his lunch menu! He loves to eat medium sized birds. Here's a clip of the bird alarm.
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A fierce predator is on the wing. Yesterday I heard a cacophony of bird chirps, tweets, and screeches outside my window. The ruckus grew so loud I knew something alarming was happening the the yard. It was a Cooper's Hawk perched on the deck rail, looking for an easy meal. Birds were sounding the alarm because this hawk specializes in eating medium-sized birds.
He was back again today, perched on the Bluebird house.
Both days I breathed a sigh of relief when he flew away with empty talons. Activity in the yard resumed, but the birds will have to be wary because this cocky hawk will be back. He acts like he owns the yard, but I guess he does--no one would dare to challenge this big fellow!
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It's snowing here in Georgia, a somewhat rare occurance. Doesn't the scarlet Cardinal look beautiful against the snowly magnolia leaves? Birds have been flocking to the feeders all day looking for an easy meal. In fact, the yard has been overrun by voracious Redwing Blackbirds.
Big Red the Red-shouldered Hawk came by to hunt in the marsh.
The bird feeders are stocked, the heated bird baths are working, and there are lots of evergreens around for shelter. The birds and creatures are taken care of so now I can enjoy an evening in my warm house.
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Songbirds flutter around the deck all day, but until yesterday I've never seen a Hawk there. I noticed a big blur of wings and when I looked out, there was a big Cooper's Hawk perched on the rail. Being that close, I got a good look at those steely eyes and curved beak. No wonder that this bird is such a fearsome predator.
The Cooper’s hawk specializes in eating medium sized birds. They’re often seen at feeders trying to nab a plump mourning dove, jay, robin, or starling. They also eat mammals such as chipmunks, squirrels, mice, and bats. Cooper’s hawks kill their prey by grabbing it in their feet and squeezing it to death. That's cold! They’ve also been known to drown prey by holding the hapless creature under water until it stops moving.
He didn't stay long but it was exciting to get such a good look at a hawk. The birds didn't share my enthusiasm, though, and didn't return until they were sure he was gone for good. Smart birds.
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Sometimes bird watching isn't for the faint of heart. This Red Shouldered Hawk has been hunting in the backyard for the last few weeks. He usually pins his prey to the ground to eat it. But today he nabbed a chipmunk and draped him across the bird feeder to feast on his catch. It took him about 15 minutes to finish his meal. Less than an hour later, the hawk nabbed something else--a bird, I think, and flew to the bird feeder. He only paused a few seconds then took his prize across the lake. Needless to say I didn't touch that bird feeder until there was a really good rain!
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Two Red Shouldered hawks have been hunting in the backyard for the last few morings---they appear to be a parent and offspring. One is very large and the smaller hawk looks like a juvenile. Yesterday the parent sat patiently on the wooden bird feeder watching the youngster practice his hunting skills. Junior (below) caught a few small morsels, but I couldn't tell what they were.
Red Shouldered hawks are large birds, measuring from 17 to 24 inches high, with a wingspan of about 3 feet. Their back and wings are dark brown, with white barring. Their name comes from the rusty colored patches on top of their wings.
These regal birds of prey are year-round residents in the eastern half of the U.S. and California. They prefer woodlands and swampy areas around lakes, rivers and streams. Red Shouldered hawks usually hunt from low perches, dropping down to grab a frog, lizard, or snake. They also eat insects and small mammals, like rabbits, chipmunks, and voles.
Unfortunately hawks also eat birds. You can bet there wasn't a visitor to any of the bird feeders as long as these two were in the yard.
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Sometimes nature is downright gory. This afternoon, I spotted a big Cooper’s hawk making a meal of a bird! He was surrounded by gray and black feathers; sadly, it looks like feathers from a catbird. It took him about 15 minutes to devour his prize.
The Cooper’s hawk specializes in eating medium sized birds!! They’re often seen at feeders trying to nab a plump mourning dove, jay, robin, or starling. They also eat mammals such as chipmunks, squirrels, mice, and bats. Cooper’s hawks kill their prey by grabbing it in their feet and squeezing it to death. They’ve also been known to drown prey as well by holding the hapless creature under water until it stops moving.
Cooper’s hawks have a steel gray back with a black barred tail with a white tip. The head is a darker shade of gray and the nape is lighter. Their chest and stomach are reddish. Identification is sometimes difficult because they closely resemble the Sharp-shinned hawk which is a little smaller.
While the hawk was enjoying his meal, the backyard was deathly quiet. Birdfeeders and birdbaths were empty and nothing seemed to move. That’s smart because one bird might not have satisfied this big guy's appetite.
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A fellow wildlife watcher here in Georgia sent me the link for a video of a Red Shouldered hawk nest in his backyard. It’s fascinating because you can see one of the parents fly into the nest with a lizard, then watch one of the chicks enjoy his meal.
Hawks often return to the same nesting site year after year, refurbishing it with new materials. This is the third year these hawks have used the same nest. You can see there are three healthy (and hungry) chicks. Chicks stay in the nest for about 6 weeks, but the parents continue to feed them for another 8-10 weeks. It takes a lot of prey to keep this brood happy.
I’d love to have a hawk nest close enough to observe the activity every day, but for now I’ll just have to be content to watch these magnificent birds hunt in my yard.
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Although these interesting birds of prey are found nearly world-wide, Ospreys haven’t settled at the lake. I took this photo of a gargantuan nest on a recent trip to Cape Cod.
Ospreys, or Sea Hawks, breed in coastal areas. They build nests of sticks, driftwood, and seaweed on utility poles, in trees, or man-made platforms. It looks like a roof top platform was included in the design for this house. These birds of prey mate for life and often return to the same nesting site year after year, renovating the old nest each season.
Fish make up most of their diet and Ospreys have the ability to spot fish underwater from a height of over 100 feet. When swooping in to capture their prey, they hover momentarily over the surface then plunge feet first into the water.
During the 1950-1970’s Osprey populations declined significantly due to pesticide use. After DDT was banned, they rebounded nicely, but are still considered endangered in a few locations.
Cape Cod is a lovely place with temperate summers, fabulous seafood, charming houses, and great beaches. I think this Osprey is pretty astute to settle there.
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Here’s something you don’t see every day! This Cooper’s hawk swooped down on the birdbath and proceeded to act like a normal bird enjoying a drink and a bath. Only this bird is a fearsome predator who took up almost the whole birdbath! Here’s a video of him splashing around.
The Cooper’s Hawk specializes in eating medium sized birds!! They’re often seen at feeders trying to nab a plump mourning dove, jay, robin, or starling. They also eat mammals such as chipmunks, squirrels, mice, and bats. Cooper’s hawks kill their prey by grabbing it in their feet and squeezing it to death. They’ve also been known to drown prey as well by holding the hapless creature under water until it stops moving.
I see hawks hunting in the backyard almost every day, but this is the first time I've seen one in the birdbath. Even though he was acting like a normal bird, nothing moved in the yard the whole time he was there. Those birds and chipmunks weren't fooled one bit!
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