[SleeplessMommy]

Yesterday, it was sitting in a tree by our pond. This morning, I looked out and saw it dive towards a brush pile.... hunting.

A field near ours is being planted with a McMansion, so it must have had its old home disturbed. I hope it stays at our house, hawks are very important for mouse control. We need all of the predators we can get here, both because of tick populations and because those mice try to girdle our apple trees.

 

[sahli29]

We have hawks too.I was upset at first seeing it trying to catch my little bird friends,but I try to tolerate it.Though I will admit I don't let him/her sit next to the feeders for an easy buffet.

I read they also eat squirrels,and they definitely need some population control.The other day I got on video 2 hawks flying together.The kids and I suspect it was a courting ritual,and we were very happy to have seen it. I hope they eat raccoons too.
I got some great pictures of one of the hawks sitting on a fence.Last week I got on video a crow sitting a few feet from a hawk and crowing at it as if to say," Get out of here." It was pretty funny.

 

[CowsRock]

My hubby witnessed some hawk flirting too. I was so excited to hear about it. The first time I saw a hawk at our house (we've only been here a little over a year), it landed on a bush just outside my big picture window. I saw it and literally couldn't move or breath, it was so amazing, then he just looked at me for awhile and I looked at him and as soon as I got up to try to move closer he took off. It was so cool. I fell in love at that moment. I catch glimpses here and there. One day a hawk swooped down to try to catch a squirrel that was eating at our bird feeder, it was amazing how fast it happened. There wasn't much room to move around (one of the reasons we picked that spot for the feeder) so he didn't get it, but that squirrel flattened himself between two branches and didn't move a muscle for a good 20 or 30 minutes. Another time I saw a hawk while driving nearby. It was just sitting on a telephone wire or power wire, whatever, just like a regular bird. At the risk of repeating myself...it was amazing.

Ok, clearly I'm a hawk lover. I just love that I live some place where they are at home.

 

[antannie]

I am a hawk lover too and we have lots in our area along with hundreds of eagles.

 

[MommyHawk]

I have heard their cries for months now but could never get a good look...and just the other day I saw them - 2 Red Tailed Hawks dancing in the open air together! It was so beautiful!!!

 

[CowsRock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MommyHawk I have heard their cries for months now but could never get a good look...and just the other day I saw them - 2 Red Tailed Hawks dancing in the open air together! It was so beautiful!!!

coooool

 

[Literate]

My kid was having some testing done at our house for early intervention and I was forced to get the video camera because a big hawk was chasing a squirrel around and around our tree ... 8 feet from the house. I wasn't sure who to root for, though.

I mean, that's not going to happen again.

 

[QueenOfThePride]

What a cool thread! We just bought our first house and this is our first spring here. I've been identifying the birds around here and learning about what to put in the feeders for them. A few days ago I was walking out to my car on the street and a little hawk flew right past me and perched in the neighbor's tree. Through pictures I identified it as a sharp-shinned hawk.

I have a few other good raptor stories. A few years ago, DH and I were in northern Wisconsin fishing. I had the video camera, and I caught footage of a bald eagle swoop down to the water and catch a fish. It flew up to a tree branch with its fish and a big flock of crows were dive-bombing the eagle to chase it off. It was really something to notice that the eagle was like eight times bigger than a crow. They are huge! The eagle wasn't concerned, it just sat there for a long time.

And this story is the coolest: In high school, I was walking to school in the morning when I came upon a red-tailed hawk on the sidewalk. It had a dead squirrel in it's feet. It was breathing hard and had it's wings flared out. I stood like three feet away from it just admiring what an amazing thing I was seeing, and the hawk looked at me like, "Get your own [email protected] squirrel! This one's mine!"

It was so beautiful, I wanted to just stay and watch it, but I was going to be late to class, so I just moved on and left it alone.

 

[Literate]

You haven't lived until you've seen a bald eagle, really close (maybe 18 ft?) take a big poop!

Ah, the beauty of nature.