Last week after the snow had melted some, a hawk showed up. It was a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. This is one of the breeds commonly referred to as a "Chicken Hawk". The others around here are Cooper and Red-Tail. The Shinned is the smallest of the 3. Anyways, this medium/small hawk hit the brush pile in the garden after a bird, probably a sparrow. All the snow was gone off the brush, so it was full of birds. The problem is that there was someone else hunting in the brush. At the same moment that the hawk hit the top Barbara(cat) jumped up through the side towards the top. When she saw what she was jumping after it scared the crap out of her. At the same time the terrified Hawk was doing it's best to get out of the brush and away from this crazy cat. Some how Barbara changed directions in mid air, landed away from the Hawk, and took off up through the yard. The hawk managed to get out of the brush and took off in a straight line across the far tree line a few neighbors over. That thing was fast. I doupt it will be back. That is one way to get rid of hawks. I was laughing so hard I had to go to the bathroom before I had an accident. Matt
That is funny!!!! However, it will be back. I have pinged those danged hawks with pellets so many times and still they rest on the top of the coop lookin at the birds. Thank God they are all covered! Except the ducks and turkeys - they don't mess with the bigger birds.
We had a hawk both Christmas Eve and Christmas day... a BIG one (either a coopers or harrier).... must have just been passing through.
We have a large redtail that lives in the woods behind our house. We have an understanding. As long as she doesn't get too close, she can stay. So far, no problems... but I still don't trust her.
That shines a whole new light on "suprise attack"! I have a few hawks around here, as well as a resident owl, big enough to carry off a rabbit. But my coop is secure, and I only free range whilst I am outside with them, so I'm going to live and let be. Seen him a couple of times, he's absolutly beautiful. Then again, I've always been a fan of the birds of prey.
