I am in West Palm Beach, Florida. We have it all....Hawk, Eagle, Yotes, snakes, Bobcat (just lost 3 adult Swedes last week), coon, possum, you name it I've seen it. I will try to get a pic because it seems whenever I let the ducks out they show up. I am fairly certain that these are either juvenile short-tails or juvenile red-tail. However, they are way smaller than say an adult hen. I would say three times the size of a dove. I know they feed on doves as I have seen many piles of dove feathers this summer. These birds are not what I would call aggressive thus far, I would describe them as very curious and very uneducated. The one on the fence that Mr. Big got after was sitting merely 3 feet from my also very dumb 5 dogs who just watched as Roo was being so brave.
I have had many experiences over the last 8 weeks with these birds. I had never really noticed them before the ducklings. They will actually fly to a tree when I am out mowing the pasture...usually the closest one to me. I have also had one stalking the babies fly four feet over the ground straight at me and then hook left away to a tree. I have also had one fly down from above me and land 5 feet away from me on the ground and sit and look at me. I really have no idea what this behavior is all about and I have no desire to become a falconer, thankyouverymuch. That is the reason I am assuming they are youngsters. They call ALOT. The typical hawk call....mostly when sitting in a tree. I KNOW when they have shown up as I hear them....and they call over and over. I have those fabulous grackles and some sort of mocking-bird type that do try to head them off.
Its been rather fascinating, all in all, that is until they actually go for one of my birds....then GAME Freaking ON!
