lost two to a darned coopers!

[kickinchicken]

My favoritw hen, Banshee, a Sultan was killed today. She died tryiing to protect her flockmate's chick to a darn coopers hawk. The jerk was up in the tree watching us as we looked for the chick...to no avail.
I cried when I took my shower tonight. We spent 5 hours securing the run, where they will remain from now on...no more free ranging flicking mulch into the grass, killing my lawn and sunning themselves in front of my day lillies. Unless we are there with the dogs!
I hate hawks...all of them!

 

[desertdarlene]

Sorry for your loss. I almost lost a few of my favorite killdeers today to a Cooper's hawk. There's a big female that loves to chase around all the shorebirds and pigeons. I wish she would go away. Her mate only seems to hunt squirrels.

 

[dinahmoe]

i am sorry for your loss
i just don't think the people that made it a federal law ever raised chickens.i have great respect for raptors but i love my chickens more.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
You have a male Coopers targeting squirrels? Seems more likely female targeting squirrels and male going after killdeer. Squirrels tough target for Coopers we have unless you have squirrels smaller than midwestern grey or fox squirrel.

 

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[desertdarlene]

Quote:
You have a male Coopers targeting squirrels? Seems more likely female targeting squirrels and male going after killdeer. Squirrels tough target for Coopers we have unless you have squirrels smaller than midwestern grey or fox squirrel.

It's definitely the male, he's the "dad" at the lake. We have a breeding pair there. The female is much larger and much scarier and experienced.

We have ground squirrels. I've actually seen him make the attacks. I have some photos of him somewhere.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
You have a male Coopers targeting squirrels? Seems more likely female targeting squirrels and male going after killdeer. Squirrels tough target for Coopers we have unless you have squirrels smaller than midwestern grey or fox squirrel.

It's definitely the male, he's the "dad" at the lake. We have a breeding pair there. The female is much larger and much scarier and experienced.

We have ground squirrels. I've actually seen him make the attacks. I have some photos of him somewhere.

Ground squirrels as in chipmunks I can see a Coopers going after. They are still tough characters.

 

[desertdarlene]

They're a larger than chipmunks, but probably not as large or aggressive as the fox squirrels. Everything eats the ground squirrels here. We even have a black crowned night heron that hunts them. I would say that they're about the size of a gopher.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I gotcha. An even bigger target.

 

[desertdarlene]

The big female one goes after small rabbits.