Caught one in the act!

[mandelyn]

Lot's of hawks around here lately, some in pairs! This guy was in the tree that hangs over the coop. Luckily my chickens are vigilant, I was out there and they saw him before I did and they ran into their house. I locked them in and ran for the camera!

 

[chickensioux]

Wow, great pic! Good luck keeping your girls safe.

 

[lilcrow]

WOW!! Your presence didn't change his attitude?

I had a pair that came cruising my coops a while back and as soon as I heard the ruckus, I came running out and saw them flying from tree top to tree top trying to position themselves. As soon as I came out they took off. It wouldn't have done them any good since all of my runs are covered, but they were sure studying them. I'm sure they had young to feed that time of the season, but I'm sorry they're not getting any of my babies. They were actually looking hardest at my bantam birchen cochins. Not!

 

[mandelyn]

No, he was too high to be scared of me! I zoomed all the way in and then cropped to get that close-up shot. But he took off to go after his mate who got scared off by a mix of Robins, Starlings, and Mockingbirds.

I'm waiting to see if one will get stuck in my hawk "trap"... I have netting loosely hung over the top of the run and secured by like... a whole case of staples and then framed with shimmy boards, so if one dives into that with talons out they'll get pretty tangled up.

Don't know if there's a bunch of hawks passing through, or the same pair and their offspring. I can spot individuals, there's atleast 4 regulars. I never free range them when I'm not out there... one came in close but I scared it off. That one landed on the lowest branch (about 20 feet) and when I stomped towards it, it flew off.

 

[lilcrow]

Great camera! I'm impressed.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Great picture! He looks mightily offended!