Yesterday a hawk snatched a chick while I was clipping my dogs' toenails. Drat . . . I feel horrible about it, and I feel especially bad that my well hidden buffet has been discovered.
Today I was looking out the window at the chickens meandering about and the dogs sound asleep in the sun, and I see the shadow. I'm thinking crum bums, the dogs are passed out, so they're useless, and I'm about to lose another chicken because my brain goes dead in emergencies (one reason I don't drive . . . I have a tendency to freeze in situations where I need to act).
Looks can be deceiving. That hawk was level with the top of our fence and about to slam into Hermione when it seemed like my dogs burst out of nowhere. They leapt up and plowed into that hawk before the hawk managed to turn around and get out of there. I am not lying when I say before this happened my dogs could have been comatose the way they looked sleeping in the sun.
I have always left my terriers outside with the chickens when I let the chickens out, knowing they'd take care of cats, if not much else. I never imagined they'd go after a bird of prey like they would a rat or rabbit, but they had that same focused look they get when I'm having them go to ground. I'm so proud of them I could burst. I hope the hawk no longer views my chickens as the easy prey he found the chick to be yesterday.
Speaking of the hawk, it is gorgeous. I got a very good look at it yesterday when it was on the ground in my backyard. It looked almost exactly like some pictures of the Harris's hawk I've seen, but much, much bigger. I'm hesitant to positively identify it. The only hawk I'm used to seeing is the red tailed, so this sucker surprised me.
Today I was looking out the window at the chickens meandering about and the dogs sound asleep in the sun, and I see the shadow. I'm thinking crum bums, the dogs are passed out, so they're useless, and I'm about to lose another chicken because my brain goes dead in emergencies (one reason I don't drive . . . I have a tendency to freeze in situations where I need to act).
Looks can be deceiving. That hawk was level with the top of our fence and about to slam into Hermione when it seemed like my dogs burst out of nowhere. They leapt up and plowed into that hawk before the hawk managed to turn around and get out of there. I am not lying when I say before this happened my dogs could have been comatose the way they looked sleeping in the sun.
I have always left my terriers outside with the chickens when I let the chickens out, knowing they'd take care of cats, if not much else. I never imagined they'd go after a bird of prey like they would a rat or rabbit, but they had that same focused look they get when I'm having them go to ground. I'm so proud of them I could burst. I hope the hawk no longer views my chickens as the easy prey he found the chick to be yesterday.
Speaking of the hawk, it is gorgeous. I got a very good look at it yesterday when it was on the ground in my backyard. It looked almost exactly like some pictures of the Harris's hawk I've seen, but much, much bigger. I'm hesitant to positively identify it. The only hawk I'm used to seeing is the red tailed, so this sucker surprised me.
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