Probably jinxing myself----

[sourland]

I've been free lofting my birds for several weeks without any hawk attacks. I let the birds out early afternoon, and close the bobs in the evening after they have returned to the loft. I spent much of yesterday working in the flower beds and watching my birds having 'fun'. They were foraging on the lawn, taking baths, and FLYING. Pigeons are meant to fly! They are not meant to be caged continually. They were flying from loft to roof top in short bursts, swooping through the backyard, rising high into the sky and pinning out - every now and then one would decide to 'hawk' the kit. Who says birds don't have a sense of humor. They will retain their freedom, and I will enjoy their flights until the hawk attacks start once again. For now it's fun.

 

[Whittni]

I feel bad for my american fantail pair, they can't really fly much so they're pretty content in their cage where they are.

 

[sourland]

I should of kept my big mouth shut. Yesterday at 2 PM I saw a big female Coopers on my landing platform. All my birds were gone except for one ash red roller frozen in fear on the house roof. Hawk let when she saw me, and I was able to whistle in 4 birds that were on the roof and in trees around my yard. An hour or so later two more came back circled the yard for 30 minutes and then trapped into the loft. Others came back one at a time. Right now 24 + hours later I am still missing 3 birds. Hopefully they will return tonight around dusk. No more free lofting.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I had a hawk fly in around 1900hrs I had two squeakers who were having difficulty trapping so I tossed a pair of pairs to help them and left the loft man door open. About 10 birds flew out and the hawk chased most of them off. They all came back in the morning with a feral blue bar that trapped into the loft also..

 

[sourland]

Two have returned. One yesterday PM, and one this AM. I have an old, strong, hawk wise cockbird that I put in my middle loft and am free lofting him to call the others back. He is quick and smart - more than a match for most hawks. This one does not appear to be well versed in pigeon killing.

 

[sourland]

One week ago the hawk struck and spooked my birds. This morning when I left to train dogs the 'lure bird' was bombing through the sky around my yard. When I got home I heard a pigeon making the 'nest calling' sound. I approached the loft giving my 'feed' whistle, and to my amazement in the center loft Mr 'lure bird' and his missing mate came out into the aviary. She survived for 7 days on her own and appears to be in good shape. She was hungry and loaded up on feed when it was offered.

The story on the 'lure bird' may be interesting. I gave away all but one roller pair and four squeakers last autumn because of my constant hawk problem. This spring the 'lure bird' returned. Turns out that he is a very aggressive, fighting son of a gun. I think that whoever bought the birds at auction may have tossed him out because he is such an aggressive bird. Well, that aggression has stood him in good stead, and somehow or other he has found his mate and brought her home. I think that I shall let them have the center loft all to themselves.

 

[Pigeon Power]

Great story!!! I wish hawks weren't such an issue...I always wondered if I got one myself somehow and fly it in the area if it would keep the local population at bay...They are territorial and I know red tails keep the smaller ones that really like pigeons away...However getting ahold of one would be problematic....and of course you wouldn't be able to fly the pigeons and hawk at the same time...but I know hawks are highly trainable...Anyway just a thought

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have been inundated lately with hawks also. My pigeons are getting smarter or the young hawks have not mastered their craft one or the other. My losses are down (knock wood). I was sure I would loose old one eye by now but she still here! My crows seem to be asleep at the switch or they are attending some convention some where. There are few to none in my area lately. I have one family that I feed who's presence has been absent lately also.

 

[sourland]

I had a family of crows that lived in the pines in back of the house. It consisted of the adult pair and their last year offspring. No young crows were raised this year, and I am down to 2 adult birds. I believe that West Nile virus may have done them in. I have been finding dead and neurologically impaired songbirds which may be indicative of West Nile.

 

[Pigeon Power]

I'm guessing crows are good at keeping hawks away?