I have the same routine that I go through every single morning. As soon as I come downstairs, I take care of “my birds.” For those of you who have been “with me” for a while, you know that since our sweet 16 1/2 year old puppy left us, I have taken up feeding the birds in our back yard. (Just call me “the crazy bird lady”!!!)
This morning, right after I finished filling the bird feeders, cleaning/filling the bird baths, and tossing the first (of several) handfuls of raw peanuts on the ground, I came back in to get on with my daily routine. As I was getting my first cup of coffee, I heard a ruckus of Blue Jays outside. For those of you who don’t know – Blue Jays are loud!
I looked out and was absolutely shocked to see a Cooper’s Hawk in our yard. In the twenty years we have lived in this house, I have seen a couple of hawks flying over head, but never (and I mean never) seen one land. And this one was in our yard!
However, this morning this hawk had not only landed in our yard, he was enjoying a hearty breakfast >>> I was absolutely floored to see him… and a few blue feathers laying by him. Right here in our residential neighborhood, where we all have approximately the same tiny-size cookie cutter lots!
My husband and I decided that since the hawk had already “done the damage,” we should just leave him alone – to avoid getting vultures in the yard later. Once the hawk was finished, he just stood there for quite a while. He looked like a different bird… He was so… “full” that he actually looked like he was shaped like a duck!
According to our trusty Bird’s of Texas Field Guide (by Stan Tekiela): “This hawk will come to feeders, hunting for unaware birds.” While he was standing there for such a long time, I was hoping that he wasn’t making a mental note of our address!
Laura says
Danna: I have had the same experience! I don’t have bird feeders, but I do have two bird baths. We also live in a track housing area. As I was making coffee one morning, I looked out the window and saw a Cooper’s Hawk devouring a mourning dove on the lawn. We have also had a hawk on the front lawn with a freshly killed crow. There were about 16 crows surrounding him squawking like crazy. They did not stop until my husband put the remains in the garbage can. Spooky!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh my gosh, Laura!!! That is SPOOKY!!!
Not one bird has gone to our bird baths or bird feeders since this occurred. I guess I had better go outside and see what I have to get done… (Maybe my husband will get the hint when he reads about your husband coming to the rescue!)
Ann Philipp says
Kinda cool to have nature right in your backyard, no matter where you live. Harsh, but cool, too.
We lived in a very suburban area and had raccoons come into our garage through the cat door and swipe little boxes of Fruit Loops. Only Fruit Loops. For some reason they avoided the Special K. Is that considered natural selection?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, your neighborhood raccoons sound like they are smarter than the average bear.
Yes, I would consider that natural selection!
Margaret says
I live in a quiet neighborhood area of a city of 67,000; but we have many Redtail Hawks. They can be seen flying over head. I feed the Birds as well and occasionally get Pigeons (I do afterall live in a City). I occasionally found piles of feathers on the ground and assumed it was a neighborhood Cat. One day I pulled up the drive way and was about to pull into the Garage when I noticed a very big Hawk sitting on the grass infront of the pool. When I got out of the Car he let me get pretty close and then flew up onto the Pergola and just looked at me, his wing span was amazing. I realized he was the Pigeon Pilferer when I saw his lunch on the grass between the Adirondack Chairs. After I went into the house he or she (not sure) went back to lunch. What amazed me was the rest of the backyard Birds all went on about their business, knowing the Hawk was satisfied and not on the hunt anymore. The Hawk then picked up lunch in his or again maybe her talons and flew away. In all the times the Hawks have been in my yard they have never left more than the feathers for me to clean up. They are so friendly and tame and never seem to concerned with my presence. Although they only let me get so close. They are the most beautiful, graceful creatures. I have been able to get some great photos. I truly enjoy their company!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Margaret, I have seen little piles of feathers before, and also assumed one of the neighborhood cats was the culprit.
The squirrels were the only ones who ventured out while our hawk was “busy”… This one stayed in our back yard for quite a while.
This morning I went out to clean up, and I had the same thing… only feathers. He/she must have eaten the bones (?!?) At least he/she was a tidy eater!
Ann says
So much drama for a little house. I hope the birds come back soon.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, since we had never seen something like this before in our yard, my husband tried getting pictures of him/her. Of course, it has been so long since we used the camera, he couldn’t get the flash to turn off. So, I think he has some good pictures of the glare off the windows.
Stephanie says
Hopefully, the hawk doesn’t become a regular at your yard… I read somewhere that, if it does, taking down your bird feeder for a while might help… I guess you couldn’t fill the bird bath, either…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Stephanie, it was interesting to watch as nature took it’s path this one time, but I wouldn’t want to feed the birds so that the hawk had easy prey in our yard. I would definitely have to put my “crazy bird lady” on hold for a while if this became a daily occurrence.
SALLY says
We’ve had falcons nesting on our office building for years. I don’t mind a bit that they take out some of the messy pigeons! It’s the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg, PA. You can watch them feeding the babies in the spring on the falcon cam.
Margaret says
In the NY Capital Region, we have Peregrine Falcons who nest every year and hatch Chicks. They nest in some of our larger bridges over the Hudson River. The NYS DOT and DEC set up nesting boxes for them and have “Falcon Cams” set up to watch the Chicks. Mom and Dad Falcon can also be seen from several of the river side parks (depending on where they nest) hunting. Both agencies have been working together for 14 years to help protect the Birds. DOT even schedules work aroung the nesting seasons. These beautiful birds almost became extinct, I am so proud of our State and Cities for helping them thrive.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh my gosh, Sally and Margaret. It would be fun to watch the little hatchlings in their nests. I’m going to try to remember to look for the falcon cams during the spring…
Marja says
That is so-o-o cool, that the DOT are looking out for the birds. Please give us a link so we can “tune in” to FalconCam!
Margaret says
Marja here are two links I hope they work for you:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7429.html
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/73036.html
The first link gives you information about the Falcons with info how to see the Cams and the second gives you information about the Falcons from this past year. They have even set up a T.V. on the underground concourse level of our State Government complex (The Empire State Plaza) so people can view it there. The Falcons have done so well with NYs help!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Margaret!
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
I think that is awesome. The hawks have to eat too!!! We saw one swoop into a flock of blackbirds once and snatch one right out of the pack. They are incredible flying machines.
We see a hawk near our yard now and then. I hope it eats some of the grackles…
Okay, okay, I’ll be nice. Well, a little nicer.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, when I started putting out peanuts for the Blue Jays, the Grackles made themselves a whole lot scarcer. I don’t know if that was just a coincidence, though…
Denise says
When I lived out on Lady’s Island years ago I had a Red Tail Hawk swoop down on a mourning dove at my bird feeder. I was shocked / surprised to see it happen. I have never seen anything like it since nor want to. I have moved into town in an older neighborhood where there are lots of trees . We have lots of great birds to watch cardinals, jays, carolina wrens, woodpeckers, painted buntings, bluebirds etc. in season. I need to refill the feeders but have to get cayanne pepper they say it helps keep away the squirrels. I am planning on keeping a backyard bird journal but first I will need to learn how to draw a bird.
I did see an odd sight a month or so ago four young herons walking in my neighborhood. We usually see them in the marshes and creeks around here. I thought it rather strange that they would come across the road from the marsh/creek. Guess they wanted to see how the other side of the street lives or they got lost. They were rather cute. Hopefully they found their way home I would hate to think someone’s cat…..
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Denise, I would absolutely love it if our Cardinals would show up more often. We had five of them who were quite active at our bird feeders during the spring. Since then, the House Finches and House Sparrows have become such large groups/flocks, that the only time the Cardinals come to the feeders is later in the day – when all of the other birds have “gone home for the night.” (Cardinals must have better eye sight than other birds… perhaps because of their bright colors?)
Tom says
Yikes Danna. Isn’t there some kind of old nursery rhyme where they go thru the whole food chain? Or maybe it’s a story….
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I don’t know about a food chain nursery rhyme, Tom, but I certainly hope that it stops with this one hawk!
Susan says
They don’t call the Cooper’s Hawk the “backyard bandit,” for nothing! I saw one take down a mourning dove near the birdbath and yes, they do have to eat, too.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, I had no idea Cooper’s Hawks are called “backyard bandits”>>> I hope our back yard doesn’t become their smorgasbord table…
Marja says
One of the main reasons I tell my clients to keep their cats indoors is, not only are they bird hunters, but they can also be birds’ prey — especially hawks and owls, which both abound in my North Florida city.
We have lots of ancient oak trees, and therein nest owls, hawks, and eagles!
It’s amazing and quite a treat to see them, and occasionally hear them [we have owls who say “who cooks for you? who cooks for you?”] and sometimes you can hear the cry of the redtailed hawk.
They do consume the whole creature, feathers, beaks and all. “Owl pellets” contain only the bits that could not be digested.
I know the predators need to survive! But I hope I never see them taking out a cat. Pigeons, on the other hand … I used to live in NYC and pigeons were, shall we say, over-abundant, and quite dirty.
Great suggestion about cayenne pepper to discourage squirrels. They are the biggest pain when it comes to bird feeders. I gave up feeding the birds b/c I was mostly feeding the squirrels. You’ll probably need to refresh your cayenne pepper every day. Or try getting some Hot Sauce? It might be easier to get to stick on the bird feeder. Good luck outwitting the canny squirrels.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marja, aha, that explains why I didn’t find any bones outside. While the hawk was “visiting,” I asked my husband if he thought hawks were like snakes, but neither of us knew for sure. No wonder he looked like an over-fed duck!
Both of my bird feeders are squirrel-proof… and by that, I mean really squirrel proof. When they try to get the seeds out, the feeders drop so that no seeds are accessible to them. It took a few days for them to see that they weren’t able to manipulate the feeders. I do, however, throw seeds on the ground under the feeders so that the doves and squirrels get some food under the feeders.
Marja says
Oh, P.S., Danna — if you get a cat or two, be sure they have a perch where they can look out and watch the bird feeder — it’s like “Cat TV”. Keeps them stimulated and out of trouble.
And please keep them indoors so they don’t … you know.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marja, our kitchen windows would be perfect for Cat TV…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
We had to raise our hummingbird feeder so that our cats couldn’t jump and reach it. But they still sit under it and dream…and every once in a while Junior tries. He leaps incredibly high for his size. It’s an amazing thing to see. Luckily the birds flit away. He’s well-fed, I promise, but he does love to chase the birds!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, I was a little sad when we had to take our hummingbird feeder down. I’m looking forward to putting it back up in March.
Are you sure Junior isn’t getting a treat or two at the bird feeders?
linda says
Danna, I love to watch the birds! Where we are living now several crows are around the corn fields nearby. These guys sure are noisy, too! Blue Jays are indeed noisy but from what other people tell me these birds are very mean, as well! My older sister lives near a lake just north of me. She and her husband have several different birdhouses and feeders all over their property. They get several different species. The ones that I like the most are the Woody Wood pecker type wood peckers. These are gorgeous birds and BIG!. My sister has a very large enclosed sunroom that has 8ft windows and the birds are very visible. What a beautiful sight to see. Even during these cold winter months the birds are. Each season brings it’s own supply of wild life to her area. My brother-in-law has a comical battle with squirrels getting into the bird feed but I guess he just copes! His antics with the squirrels could be made into a movie or a comic strip!
I can hardly wait for Spring to get here so that I can see what kind of birds we will get here! I love to sit outside and read and birdwatch. Have a good day!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I keep my bird food inside because I have seen some raccoons around, and know how dexterous they are. I actually go out and pick up the uneaten peanuts at the end of the day so they don’t attract raccoons and skunks to our yard. (I know the bird seed is bad enough!)
Ricky says
Why didn’t you get another dog? Birds are wonderful to feed, I love doing it but they don’t love you like dogs.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ricky, I would love to get another dog (or cat) – but I am just not ready yet. They bring so much love into a home, but they are also a huge responsibility. Sprite’s last couple of years were difficult for her, and making the final decision on her behalf was excruciating for me.
I kept telling my vet that I thought she was in pain, but he kept assuring me she wasn’t. (She was on daily pain medication.) One day he even told me that she was so happy in the lab area that she was wagging her tail>>> which I found surprising since she had such bad arthritis in her tail area that she no longer wagged her tail. Looking back, I wonder if our vet didn’t prolong her life just to continue making money on her… and I feel very guilty about that possibility. He is a reputable vet, so I could be very wrong about that… but I occasionally wonder if we didn’t do a disservice to Sprite by keeping her alive while she was really (despite my vet’s assurances) in pain…
Ricky says
An elderly, sick dog is excruciating for all. I am active in the dog community, showing, etc. and while I say don’t beat up on yourself, if you get another dog (and I hope you do) get a different vet).
Perhaps you should get a rescue dog. It needs you and possibly you need it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ricky, believe me, I have already picked out a new vet!
If we go with another pet, he/she will definitely be an older-than-puppy/kitten pet…
Ricky says
OK. You are on the right road. Don’t wait too long. The perfect dog is out there waiting for you, sitting on your lap while you are reading.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ricky, we’re still thinking about it… My daughter is thinking about getting either a dog or a cat when she moves closer to us this summer. Since she will be so close, we are thinking that she will just bring him/her home with her a couple times a month…
marion says
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I have to keep reminding myself about the balance of nature, circle of life, ect. but I think you’ve figured out where my sympathy lies!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marion, oddly enough we had two visits by hawks in a rather close time frame, but all has been quiet on that front since then.
marion says
Hmmmm, interesting.