Hi, dana, and welcome. I wouldn’t chase a raptor now, either, but long ago and far away (OK, a few years ago in Virginia) I was sitting on my back deck when a coopers or sharpie swept in after a grackle. I think both must have been young and still learning the ropes, because the hawk missed, and the grackle just sort of stood there. Then I ran out to chase the hawk away from “my” grackle and we ended up with a parade, all on foot: the grackle in front, chased by the hawk, and me bringing up the rear. I wish I’d been able to record the whole sequence.
Oh wow. I have never had that in my yard. A cat caught one of our birds once…and I chased it. I wouldn’t do that to a raptor, though.
We have a Cooper’s hawk in the neighborhood, but I am yet to see him in my yard.
Larry – I find it easier to accept a raptor feeding than I do road kill, window strikes, and wandering house cats. I’ve always felt we can and should do something about the last three. The first is part of nature, and I wouldn’t give up our beautiful raptors. I just wish they’d eat lunch somewhere else.
I saw a pile of feathers myself today.-It really doesn’t bother me.-I love watching raptors!
Robin, I feel much the same. I’m glad all I had to see was feathers, not the rest of the deceased.
We find scattered feathers like that in our yard too. A few weeks ago we watched a juvenile Cooper’s hawk make off with a Spotted Towhee. It landed still inside our fenced yard where we could watch it. I was shocked that it took so long for it to eat. When I went over later to see, the Cooper’s had plucked every feather off. The pile of feathers was much larger than any I had ever seen. I know that food is never about malice, but I sure felt bad for that Towhee.
Hi, dana, and welcome. I wouldn’t chase a raptor now, either, but long ago and far away (OK, a few years ago in Virginia) I was sitting on my back deck when a coopers or sharpie swept in after a grackle. I think both must have been young and still learning the ropes, because the hawk missed, and the grackle just sort of stood there. Then I ran out to chase the hawk away from “my” grackle and we ended up with a parade, all on foot: the grackle in front, chased by the hawk, and me bringing up the rear. I wish I’d been able to record the whole sequence.
Oh wow. I have never had that in my yard. A cat caught one of our birds once…and I chased it. I wouldn’t do that to a raptor, though.
We have a Cooper’s hawk in the neighborhood, but I am yet to see him in my yard.
Larry – I find it easier to accept a raptor feeding than I do road kill, window strikes, and wandering house cats. I’ve always felt we can and should do something about the last three. The first is part of nature, and I wouldn’t give up our beautiful raptors. I just wish they’d eat lunch somewhere else.
I saw a pile of feathers myself today.-It really doesn’t bother me.-I love watching raptors!
Robin, I feel much the same. I’m glad all I had to see was feathers, not the rest of the deceased.
We find scattered feathers like that in our yard too. A few weeks ago we watched a juvenile Cooper’s hawk make off with a Spotted Towhee. It landed still inside our fenced yard where we could watch it. I was shocked that it took so long for it to eat. When I went over later to see, the Cooper’s had plucked every feather off. The pile of feathers was much larger than any I had ever seen. I know that food is never about malice, but I sure felt bad for that Towhee.