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Depends on the weather, sadly: there will be the resident Red Tails and Coopers all winter, and they will be unlikely to take after your chickens if they haven't already. If we're talking about the Fred Meyer's on Bridgeport Way, that Red Tail has a nesting territory at the golf course; there's also a pair of Cooper's Hawks that nest over by Curtis (we used to go to the Trader Joe's on Bridgeport Way; anywhere I go more than a few times, I've scoped out the resident Red Tails and Coopers at least, also Ospreys (the closest to you is at Gravelly Lake) and Bald Eagles (They nest somewhere inland from the mouth of Chambers Creek but not too far from the New Tacoma Cemetary).
However, if there's hard weather north of us all winter, we'll have Fraser River vagrants, and they are the ones to worry about. Arctic outbreaks that drive lots of snow all the way to southern Puget Sound push the hungry travellers south of us, and out to the ocean beaches, so there's times right before and right after that you'll see more migrants- especially down at shoreline below you. Blue freezes are worst for places like the Kent Valley and Nisqually Delta- the travellers like to hunt open spaces more than forests.
If it stays damp and breezy, you just have to worry about the residents, and that not very much- there's a lot of prey species habitat where you are, and unless you're close to a roost tree (which I suspect is the source of hallerlake's eagle problem, although I'm yet to figure out where that bird is perching) where they can drop out of the sky in a moment when they're just bored or hungry enough to risk close human encounters, you shouldn't have any active attempts at predation. I watched the resident Red Tail here ignore the heck out of my cousin's free ranging chickens all last year and as recently as today- the only attempted bird predation here was that one migrant Coops earlier this fall.
Yes, I am up the hill from the Fred Meyer's on Bridgeport. I knew you would have the information I was looking for! I DO know that the hawks don't fly south for the winter, (like Miami). I was j/k. But I remembered you had mentioned the migrants before so that's the information I was interested in. I've seen many of the Eagles when I'm walking Chambers Bay golfcourse or just circling the wooded areas near Bridgeport, (often with crows chasing them out of the area).
Interesting how differently people will process information. I read this and think I need to be cautious and vigilant all the time. DH hears it and thinks it's okay to let the chickens out every day. I've told him if that hawk is sitting in a tree in our yard that no, the chickens stay in their covered run for a few days. I listen for the crows or Jays to let me know when there's danger and sure enough, that's when I've spotted the hawk. DH isn't quite as aware and is hard of hearing, but refuses to wear his brand spankin' new expensive hearing aids when he's at home.
Eh. They're my birds, my responsibilty, and he's good about leaving them in the run provided I remember to tell him what I'm observing. I've noticed the chickens are very good at running for cover but I've also seen video demonstrating why that doesn't necessarily keep them safe. It was a sad video someone had left running from a game cam when a hawk entered their open run and walked right into the henhouse. Although you can't see what's happening, you can hear it. Nearly broke my heart to listen.
