Squeaky 135 Posted August 24, 2016 Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 Hey Everyone: I went to the driveway this morning to get the newspaper. I heard an interesting bird call in the air - certainly not the usual dove, blue jay, finch, or mockingbird. I looked up to see a red-tailed hawk circling about 50 ft. above me making its hawk call. Maybe it was searching for a thermal, but I was glad I wasn't a field mouse. It was close enough for me to see individual tail feathers, and I could tell its eyes were tilted at me. I'm not a tree hugger, but it's fun to see a hawk that close. Birds of prey are cool. I noticed it took a while for the usual birds to return to our bird feeders. Thought that was sort of funny. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Odd Man Out 1,283 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 Being conscious to the beauty of nature is a wonderful thing. It sure beats the electronic universe that most inhabit... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Mark 2,452 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 I've always been a huge fan of birds of prey. Glad to see there are quite a few in our new environment down here in FL. They are a quintessential predator. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HB of CJ 1,263 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 So cool to see the big Raptors up close. We have small dogs and even they look up all around before venturing out into the big fenced back yard. We also at night walk the mutts carrying a big 5 million power flashlight. Big Owls would LOVE to munch up dinky dogs. Once on Interstate Five driving South between Grants Pass and Medford Oregon right at the County line a huge eagle swooped down right to left barely above the car roof tops. It must have had a 6 foot wing span. Very fast, very impressive indeed. Life is so good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james lambert 3,059 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 A little Goshawk eats song birds off of our feeder on a regular basis It is somewhat disturbing to see....but its nature and everybody has to eat 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Long Shot 1,287 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 Bird moment first for me a few days ago, One of the new kids at work found a struggling House Sparrow fledgling that took the big leap a little early. It was kinda stuck in a drain grate in the floor. He's a good kid and wanted to help the little thing so he carefully picked it up and walked outside. He stood still for a couple minutes and the little bird took flight about twenty feet to safely land on top of the cyclone fence. In Less time than he could say, I done good, a large Stellars Jay swooped in and grabbed up the morsel and flew off. Interesting wild kingdom moment indeed. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ronin38 2,117 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 There is a family of 3 Coopers Hawks around my neighborhood. I always look for them when I'm outside, and see them quite often, sometimes fairly close! I've seen one of them making an attack run quite a few times, once he flew right over my head about 15 feet above me, diving after something in my neighbors yard! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james lambert 3,059 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 Raptors are awesome Only issue we have had is the great horned owls scarfing up our barn kittys Full grown cats fare better but still get grabbed now and then Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Heartbreaker 1,085 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 I have seen a Bald Eagle in the wild, laboring to take off with a fish above a mud flat. Very awe-inspiring. My favorite bird is the Northern Mockingbird. They sing so much, way more than other birds, and so amazingly. They also having striking plumage and when you see one fly there is no mistaking it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 I see white headed fish buzzards all the time. They spend more time stealing, or trying to steal the fish that the ospreys caught. I must be an Asshole, cause I got no pride in watching the eagles do that. And honestly could care less if there were eagles around or not. One amusing story...was at the river, a mile from the house...there's a big eagle nest up in an old dead tree...the bunny huggers love to come from far and wide to see them. This one old hippie chick was there, and she looks at me and says in this enraptured voice... " look! Eagles!!" I said, " lady...there's ALWAYS eagles there... I bet they taste like chicken!". She was not amused... Rofl 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 At the county fair a couple days ago I got to get personal with a couple birds of prey. Cool stuff. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 I have a 60 ft pine in our back yard and we have a red tail that sits on it telling everyone this is his turf. Very cool. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Nemo 882 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 We've got screech owls, great horned, sometimes snowy, eagles, osprays, hawks and kestrels. I can usually call the screech and great horned in to sit in the trees. Rescued a hawk after he missed a squirrel and pulled up into a window. He sat quietly for a while, then when he regained his senses, I gave him a launch and he flew off. One eagle's nest came down south of town and had 5 dog or cat collars in it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 Came out of my front door last year and had 12 vultures eating the neighbors cat that had expired. Run them off and buried what was left of the cat. Decided not to tell the neighbor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 I see white headed fish buzzards all the time. They spend more time stealing, or trying to steal the fish that the ospreys caught. I must be an Asshole, cause I got no pride in watching the eagles do that. And honestly could care less if there were eagles around or not. One amusing story...was at the river, a mile from the house...there's a big eagle nest up in an old dead tree...the bunny huggers love to come from far and wide to see them. This one old hippie chick was there, and she looks at me and says in this enraptured voice... " look! Eagles!!" I said, " lady...there's ALWAYS eagles there... I bet they taste like chicken!". She was not amused... Rofl You should have said they taste like Spotted Owl. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted August 26, 2016 Report Share Posted August 26, 2016 (edited) We have an Eagle's nest, in a tree, 40 feet behind our property. The adults can pick up anything under 10 lbs. We have small dogs so, we have to watch them carefully. A couple years ago I watched a drama play out in front of my windshield at 50 MPH. Two crows harassing a Bald Eagle, 5 feet in front of my windshield, while driving. The Eagle had enough. He swatted, with his wing, one of the crows, into the ditch, grabbed him and got back into the air in front of my 50 MPH vehicle. I just remember the crow staring at me, in the clutches of the eagle, again only 5 feet away! His buddy had flown away. I know what the eagle had for dinner. Edited August 26, 2016 by Sim_Player 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Nemo 882 Posted August 26, 2016 Report Share Posted August 26, 2016 I too saw a crow make a fatal mistake and get under a hawk. When we still had pheasants (please shoot more cats!), I saw one rooster crash onto the ice. He made a good takeoff for the swamp, went into glide mode and then started loosing too much altitude to make the swamp and punched in 25 yards short. It was a good reminder for me as an Army aviator that mistakes happen! Even with birds! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted August 26, 2016 Report Share Posted August 26, 2016 (edited) I too saw a crow make a fatal mistake and get under a hawk. When we still had pheasants (please shoot more cats!), I saw one rooster crash onto the ice. He made a good takeoff for the swamp, went into glide mode and then started loosing too much altitude to make the swamp and punched in 25 yards short. It was a good reminder for me as an Army aviator that mistakes happen! Even with birds! Ever see an albatross land? Every landing is a crash. ...or a grouse in flight? Looks like someone threw a dead bird. Edited August 26, 2016 by patriot 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
getitat 609 Posted August 26, 2016 Report Share Posted August 26, 2016 Hello It's unfortunate that so many birds of prey wind up being victims of auto collisions. That binocular vision comes at a price, they have virtually no collateral vision whatsoever. So, when they're focused on game around a road, they'll often crash right into a moving vehicle, frequently breaking wings, etc and dying an ignoble death not befitting them on the side of the road . They're top of their food chain, but not of our world. -Guido in TX Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ronin38 2,117 Posted August 26, 2016 Report Share Posted August 26, 2016 Yeah, my buddy drives a truck, and a red tailed hawk had just picked up something from the median and was trying to fly across the road. My friend couldn't slow down enough to avoid it, the hawk looked up at the last minute with a definite "OH SHIT!" look on it's face. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted August 27, 2016 Report Share Posted August 27, 2016 We have a pair of hawks here, they fledged 2 young last year. For a while there were 4 hawks working the place over, they love to play with the thermals, sometimes with a snake or lizard in their grasp. Lots of Cardinals, Scrub Jays, Buntings ,Doves etc. but the funniest are the Humming Birds. We have a Humming Bird war that has been going on all summer! One day I was right in the middle, one of the hummers was using my head to hide from the other, so rrrrrrooommmmmm. rrrrrrooooommmmmmm- little winged fuckers buzzing all around my head! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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