Hawk tries to eat my hummingbirds!

[Ad Astra]

Now, get THIS:

Notice in THIS the little guy aborting a feeder-landing:

Who knows hawks? Is this a red-tailed?

This hawk has taken up residence in our backyard, in part because of the neighbor's feeders … A hummingbird would just be a mouthful for him!

Last week I heard the neighbor's cows got out and were walking on the road. Same day, my buddy saw bear scat right on same road.

"If bears kill cows on our street, something has really changed …" I told him.

Hawks eating hummers now? Wolves must be next.

Winter is coming.


AA

 

[simon1]

It may well be a variation of red-tailed hawk. The ones around here have darker feathers around their head though. A few used to perch on top of some poles in the yard and catch mice in the grass. I have a good picture of one I took a few years ago but when I looked for it in my files I couldn't find it.

If you see it from a different angle, and flying, and the tail is reddish color....

 

[simon1]

Found the pic. of the red-tail in the yard. I had written it off since Photobucket held the pics. hostage for $500. I still can't log in as the email address I had then is no longer valid for the required verification email they send out and can't contact them right now.

I had to go around the world just to find my account without logging in. Photobucket will not get anything of mine ever again. If I was able to log in this pic. would be a bigger size.

 

[John Rose]

Hawks eating hummers now?

I kinda' doubt it. Hawks have a faster top speed, but hummingbirds have the edge for acceleration and tight turns. It's why they're so fearless around humans.

Cool pix though.

Fun Fact about Red-tailed Hawks - Any time you're watching movie and the hero is in a jam stuck out in the desert or forest without his horse, the bird sound you hear is always a Red-tailed Hawk, no matter that they may not even be indigenous to that location, or that they show a close-up of an Eagle. Vultures, Eagles, Falcons, and other raptors have really lame-sounding calls, so they always use a Red-tailed Hawk. More often than not, it's the same archived recording. (Much like the Wilhelm Scream, in terms of it's wide use.)

 

[Black Adder]

Ad Astra's bird is a buteo, or soaring hawk. The chestnut barring across the breast means either a broad winged or red shouldered hawk, with the thicker, solid chestnut portion on the upper chest, and the slightly more robust build, kind of locking in the red shouldered identification. While not impossible, a hummer is kind of a tough catch for this type of hawk. It's most likely looking for mice, voles, or an unaware ground feeding bird to pounce upon.

Don

 

[Graydog]

I have some really big Red Tails that don't roost in my yard (I have a Weimaraner )
but they fly around the tops of my trees in the backyard looking for squirrels.
We have a flock of Blue Jays that live in some of the trees and when the hawks are around they group together and make so much noise and actually chase them away . Great fun to watch

 

[Ad Astra]

Nice! Thanks, guys. It's appreciated.

I guess hummers would be like popcorn shrimp to that buteo ... He is more likely after the mourning doves. More meat.

The hawk means business. A real swooper among the trees.

I'd pay money to see him tote off a squirrel, though. I hate the house-eaters.


AA

 

[simon1]

Nice! Thanks, guys. It's appreciated.

I guess hummers would be like popcorn shrimp to that buteo ... He is more likely after the mourning doves. More meat.

The hawk means business. A real swooper among the trees.

I'd pay money to see him tote off a squirrel, though. I hate the house-eaters.


AA

See if you are able to get a bit of video sometime. I wish I had got some video of the one that used to sit on the pole by the garden and catch mice, then pack them back up to the top of the pole and have lunch.

They are still around here quite a bit, but for some reason I haven't seen one perched on a pole in the yard in quite some time. Maybe my cats have thinned out the mouse population around here.

 

[sarimento1]

birds at feeders are easy meals for most hawks, especially coopers as well as the red tailed in your case.

the hawk just might be looking for supper for his kids.

how can you object to that?

 

[Mike H]

Several years ago a new country radio station started up in Louisville, Ky. I was living there at the time. The call name was "The Hawk" and they would play the bird's call during promotions. Problem was it was a crow call, not a hawk. It was hilarious. We called the station and let them know. It took about a week before they changed it.

Good luck with your Hummingbirds AA.

 

[Ad Astra]

I suspect the little guys are actually OK.

The meatier and slower doves, on the other hand ...


AA

 

[Deltaboy]

If you want him to move on use a kids Air soft gun and bust his backside with it.

 

[Ad Astra]

If you want him to move on use a kids Air soft gun and bust his backside with it.

No-no-no; really liking having "my hawk."

It's a fixture; hunting must be good. I've gotten lots more photos.

I am told by local lore, "the hummers will disappear with the first cold front of the season."

I am praying for that blessed event, hasn't happened yet.


AA

 

[simon1]

No-no-no; really liking having "my hawk."

It's a fixture; hunting must be good. I've gotten lots more photos.

I am told by local lore, "the hummers will disappear with the first cold front of the season."

I am praying for that blessed event, hasn't happened yet.


AA

My hummers have left after this little cool snap the other day. Still haven't seen hawks in the yard in awhile, just flying over. Maybe I should trap a mouse and strap it to the top of one of the poles.

Let's see the hawk photos!

 

[Intrigued]

These are terrible photos, but these are a couple I took a while ago of of a hawk sitting on my bird feeder.

 

[Ad Astra]

...

Let's see the hawk photos!

OK, with the caveat, this is funny!

Hawk surveys backyard from neighbor's upper deck ...

Which can be seen from inside our house ...

By our cat.

AA

 

[Ad Astra]

"I said, pass the drumsticks!"

AA

 

[Ad Astra]

"In fact; let me help myself ..."

AA

 

[beginish]

When glancing at this thread title, I thought the hawk went after your hummus.

 

[Ad Astra]

When glancing at this thread title, I thought the hawk went after your hummus.

Well. No.

One did eat the neighbor's pet rabbit, but that was some years ago.


AA