Coopers Hawk Working Barn Area Hard

[Folly's place]

The unafraid Coopers hawk that visited a few years ago took longer to get discouraged; over two weeks of no chicken dinners. The first bird he caught, he tried to eat on the pickup truck bed, and flew off when I got about fifteen feet away. He was also young, hatched near the neighbor's house, and would sit on the fence next to the coop during the day. "Come out and play, little girl" was his line to the chickens, it was kind of funny, really. Mary

 

[centrarchid]

In most intances if the hawk is staying for more than a day then it is getting something to eat. Chickens my hawk is after would be good for only a day. Hawk therefore getting something else regularly. Based on feathers I am finding behind barn and in fence row it is scoring on songbirds pretty regularly on my place. It may even be loafing on me as well.

 

[centrarchid]

Coopers came in and got displaced by the Missouri Dominique cock. Game will not be used if dom can be kept close to barn.

 

[centrarchid]

I have placed the feeding station on top of pen pictured above. Shortly I will put it between two ladders so well above where hawk usually lands. This will get fun pushing chickens to use new resources. At some point I will be installing a loft to make all this easier.

 

[centrarchid]

While waiting for Coopers i saw multiple Bald eagles and even a Golden. My first Golden from yard. Easy to discern from juv Bald.

 

[centrarchid]

Hawk just invested considerable effort into catching a Bluejay with chase ending an Autumn Olive. Hawk gave up then flew towards barn where chickens discussed its approach.

 

[centrarchid]

The vegetation I allowed to provide cover for young chickens during production are providing a refuge for songbirds that the hawk is trying to take advantage of. In the next month a past student of mine will help me do a prescribed burn which take away much of the cover currently used by the songbirds. I suspect that forage for songbirds will collapse before that is realized.

 

[centrarchid]

This morning Coopers cam barreling in to land on bachelor pen. They guys in there would eat the hawk. Then hawk flew as if going into barn when is almost flew in a hen which flinched but held its ground. Hawk tried to approach pen with chicks but rooster was on top of that so hawk flew to north into direction it came from. It is still hunting but doing so in what amounts to a mine field of adult chickens that will harass it.

 

[centrarchid]

Coopers Hawk came in hard this morning chasing sparrows. A sparrow hid under a cage a gamehen with chicks was using as cover to sunbath behind. One the chicks got stuck under cage while apparently tormenting sparrow. I had to release sparrow.

 

[centrarchid]

I just stepped out to do yard work and the Coopers Hawk was going hard after an English House sparrow where most of flight was about 20 feet above ground. Coopers (female) out maneuvered. Hawk then flew straight back barn to land on dog large pens no more than about 20 feet from all my chicks and juveniles. it still goes only after songbirds. Chickens make little noise when it is there. Going out to try and shoot photo. Cool stuff!