Hawks!

[RWise]

No it's not like that, my girls are safe, my hawks are gone! 3 1/2 pairs, they have been here for years, with one nest in site of my coop. They hunted daily in the valley bellow the house, it's to quiet out, what happened to them? Would they just move away?
I sure hope someone did not shoot them, but all 7 birds. But I dont even see the nest where they were hatched, what would take out the nest?

 

[Trish1974]

Hmmm, that's odd. What kind of hawks were they? Are you seeing a different species of hawk around?

 

[Noreaster Egger]

I seem to have fewer hawks around this spring since putting the hawk netting up over my run last August.

*knock on wood*

 

[centrarchid]

No it's not like that, my girls are safe, my hawks are gone! 3 1/2 pairs, they have been here for years, with one nest in site of my coop. They hunted daily in the valley bellow the house, it's to quiet out, what happened to them? Would they just move away?
I sure hope someone did not shoot them, but all 7 birds. But I dont even see the nest where they were hatched, what would take out the nest?

My freaking Uncle Bob. He did that to me one year back in Indiana. Cut tree down and everything. Hawks were smarter than that chainsaw toting ape as they built a nest the next season on back side of woods.

 

[centrarchid]

Getting more likely, some hawks upon fledging plus a few days move away from nest to areas where hunting more reliable. Adults will soon stop provisioning chicks as adult go into molt. Great-horned Owls are different, here the young stay in area centered on my chicken pens from May through November. At some point the buggers will follow me around. Videos needed of that to show. I do not know why they track me like that.

 

[RWise]

Hmmm, that's odd. What kind of hawks were they? Are you seeing a different species of hawk around?

I never ID'd them we call 'em chicken hawks, they are big enuf to do real damage in a flock, but hunt plentiful squirrel. As far as others, there is a lone falcon comes by from time to time, but not new. I did see one of the hawks, when it spotted me it took off dodging in and out of trees, as did the falcon (which used to come by with a mate). To me this shows they have been shot at,,,,

My freaking Uncle Bob. He did that to me one year back in Indiana. Cut tree down and everything. Hawks were smarter than that chainsaw toting ape as they built a nest the next season on back side of woods.

A person near me had snowy egrets move onto his place, a flock of them. They were taking over the nearby yards and attacking people in their yards..So as a good neighbor he decided to get rid of them, to which wildlife management told him he could not do anything but let them be! Now comes winter, the birds are no longer there (cept poo all over), he cut down every tree on his place (a larger acreage)

Getting more likely, some hawks upon fledging plus a few days move away from nest to areas where hunting more reliable. Adults will soon stop provisioning chicks as adult go into molt. Great-horned Owls are different, here the young stay in area centered on my chicken pens from May through November. At some point the buggers will follow me around. Videos needed of that to show. I do not know why they track me like that.

The 1/2 pair, a male I think, is the oldest his mate vanished several years ago. Until the last few days he would perch just above the nest (nest is/was in the tallest (now dead) tree on my place on top of the hill). The 3 pairs are from offspring and live(d) nearby, they have hunted together for several years.

I miss them already, their screech while hunting, I cant say I ever lost a bird to them. That falcon may be another story, it may have grabbed a chick at some point.
IF they have been shot (poisoned?) I am really sad, they were not an issue here! In fact I want them to help control the tree rats!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I lost a duck to a Red Tail. Only once and I enjoy watching the pair that nest here every year. I try to sit with the girls when they are hunting.