It makes me Raptor-ous!

[zoethe]

Coming home from the bus stop today, I noted that the birds were extra-raucous on our street. Then two houses away from our home I came to a dead stop. There on the lawn under our tree stood a large hawk. I could hardly believe my eyes! After a minute or so, she flew off, limp remains of a rabbit in her talons. She only flew down the block about four houses, and landed in the top of the wine-leafed sycamore there. An hour or two later, the birds were still frantic.

I can only hope she did a little survey of this neighborhood and decided it was a veritable McDonalds, so is nesting in the top of the tree. The wild rabbit population is completely out of control here, and I'd love to see a little natural pest control move into the neighborhood.

I've decided to nickname her Orkin, if she stays.

Comments

[ohhjuliet.livejournal.com]

A hawk lived in the wooded area behind my house (not the last house, the one before that) and I loved watching it fly. :)

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any since we got to Ohio, and I've missed them.

[mamaursula.livejournal.com]

We have a hawk and an owl in our immediate neighborhood. I've seen the hawk in one of our trees and have heard the owl at night. I feel good knowing that although we keep trying to push them away as a race, taking over their territories, that they persist and make a go at it.
I wonder how much space a predator like that needs.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I think it mostly depends on the available prey. Of which there is tons here.

My only fear is that the other locals will not understand the advantage of having them about.

Bird Nerd

[sonofthelama.livejournal.com]

That is really awesome!
Do you have any idea what kind of hawk? Did you notice any stripes on the tail or distinct markings on her chest? (pure white or perhaps a 'band' of darker feathers)

Food is a pretty signifigant motivator in their choice to stay or go. Although it sounds like that "extra-raucous" behavior is going to turn to mobbing soon.

Re: Bird Nerd

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Alas, it was too much in silouhette for me to tell. I am a a very rusty birder, so believe me I will be keeping a look-out.

West Nile Virus has killed off so many of our raptors. I can only hope they are turning the corner on it, developing some immunities.

Re: Bird Nerd

[sydneyrodriguez.livejournal.com]

I guess they could make use of a couple Peregrin Falcons, then, huh?

Re: Bird Nerd

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

The more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned. Saw a peregrine a mile or so away the other day. Good to see raptors in the area.

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

That is totally cool!

Must have PICS!!

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I hope I get a chance!

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

So do I. When we went down to southern Utah in April for vacation, at one point we saw a hawk on a back road. It few over to a fence post and then just looked at us for a couple minutes in our car before flying off. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my camera out in time, which was a bit of a bummer. However, it was really magical to see it so close, no more than 10-15 feet!

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

When i was in college, we did a raptor watching trips to a place on the Oregon/California border called Tulie Lakes during duck migration season. There were hawks, osprey, eagles, falcons, everywhere. To the point were a red-tailed hawk on the signpost just ahead wasn't even worth stopping for. It was amazing.

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweet. I would have kil....OK, maybe not killed to get to go on that trip, but definitely bruised the Hell out of some people! That sounds like it was just amazing.

[amayos.livejournal.com]

If a female, perhaps "Orkina" would be suitable. :D

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Naw. She's pest control. ;-)

[nikkif.livejournal.com]

We had a similar situation here the other day. The crows were going bonkers, and then we looked up and saw three bald eagles circling overhead, hunting.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

That is so cool. It's bretty amazing when you see sparrows harassing a raptor into fleeing - the dive-bomber against the battleship, but the battleship can't react fast enough.

[wildcelticrose.livejournal.com]

Isn't nature grand?

Especially raptors!

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I love 'em!

[msginnyo.livejournal.com]

I've got four hawks that live on or adjacent to my yard, and somewhere nearby are turkey vultures. The first time we saw them, my husband photographed them for posterity as they chowed down on one of the dozens of jackrabbits in the area:



...and while I welcome their presence for rabbit & chipmunk population control, knowing they're there means I can only let my Yorkshire terrier out when he's on a leash, with me. (My Yorkie's about the size of a rabbit!)

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you can definitely lose a little dog very, very quickly to one of these! Be careful!

[jemyl.livejournal.com]

The same is true for cats. We regularly have hawks, owls and eagles here. One hawk evern buzzed me one night about three years ago but I was spared the talons in my hair when I ducked and it decided that there was too large an animal attached to the fur and flew off to land on a nearby tree and watch me as I informed it "Yeah, I AM bigger than you, see" and shook my head. I swear the thing gave me a wing waggle as it took off to circle the field behind us which is often ripe with feral kittens and rabbits. (My ponytail scrunchy was white that evening, of course!)

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Our neighbor's son has one nesting in his yard. He was visiting his mom and regailing us with tales of mowing the lawn while being a moving target.

[winged-marquess.livejournal.com]

I know there's a hawk that lives about a mile from my house. And there's another on my university campus. One day I walked out of class to find it eating a squirrel while still on the ground. About 50 people were circled around it watching it eat, but it still stayed on the ground. We were only about 15-20 feet from it. It was a very cool experience. I was worried something might be wrong with it, but I doubt a sick hawk could catch a quick squirrel.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

but I doubt a sick hawk could catch a quick squirrel.


That almost sounds like a "learn to type" exercise! The quick brown fox jumped over the lzy dog....

Also a raptor fan...

[gieves.livejournal.com]

Just 10 minutes down the road from you, we have a Cooper's Hawk who hangs out in our neighborhood.

S/he is a particular fan of shopping for lunch at our bird feeders (*sigh*), so has spent some time sitting on the bushes surrounding our enclosed porch. Despite the potential loss of our little feathered freeloaders, it's really cool to have a hawk less than 10 feet from the kitchen window on occasion. We too cheer on anybody who'll reduce our bunny population.

Re: Also a raptor fan...

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Could well be what I saw - about the right size.

Too bad we can't get them to be particular: please shop for English sparrows and starlings, but leave the warblers and finches alone.

Or, please just eat bunnies.

Re: Also a raptor fan...

[sonofthelama.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...
Cooper's Hawks are accipiters and tend to be birders.
Based on it being able to carry away a whole rabbit, it was more likley a larger buteo.

Re: Also a raptor fan...

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

It was a little rabbit. We have lots (and lots) of baby rabbits. But you may be right.

Forgive my ignorance, but...

[tha-hamburglar.livejournal.com]

Why are excess rabbits bad? I live in the burbs and there are dozens of the little critters running around at dusk and dawn, but I'd never thought of them as a problem.

Re: Forgive my ignorance, but...

[gieves.livejournal.com]

They're cute as all get-out, but they EAT gardens. Last year, the bunnies (in combination with the deer) managed to destroy all of our tulips, our rose bushes, our tomato plants, our pepper plants, our beans, our cucumbers, our lettuce... We were left only with basil, mint, and the stumps of our flower and vegetable gardens. This was rather upsetting!

Re: Forgive my ignorance, but...

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Well, as long at you aren't a gardener. They are harsh on the plant life, though.

(Yes, I've turned into Mr. MacGregor, though I won't do in Peter Rabbit myself. I just root for nature to do the job for me.)

Close encounters of the raptor kind

[steevi.livejournal.com]

The day after we moved into our new house I was walking through the front yard and suddenly I hear this "whoomp!" and a shower of feathers comes raining down around me.

I was lucky enough to look left (had I looked right I'd have missed it) and see the sillouette of a hawk with a pigeon in its grasp.

It was the coolest thing. Not a screech or sound from the pigeon. Death was instant.

In the year we've lived there we have discovered numerous circles of feathers in our front and back yard. I have yet to find where the hawk is nesting, but s/he must be nearby and love to picnic at our house. :)

Re: Close encounters of the raptor kind

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

How cool - except the feather mess, of course.

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

I've never asked this before, as these things usually just don't matter to me at all, but, would it bother you if I stole and used your icon?

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I obtained it from the talented and beautiful cleolinda, who makes many icons that are free for the taking. Which is a roundabout way of saying, certainly - while giving due credit.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

oooh...something so awe-inspiring to me about coming upon a hawk.Here's hoping you get to see it more often.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it again, alas. But I keep watching!

[kapera.livejournal.com]

You don't really know me, but I wandered by and have some raptor pictures you might like on my Flickr. Getting this close to a beautiful large Red-Shouldered Hawk was amazing. :)

One or two of interest:

http://flickr.com/photos/kapera/79094721/in/set-1692976/
http://flickr.com/photos/kapera/79094597/in/set-1692976/

The whole set:

http://flickr.com/photos/kapera/sets/1692976/

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are awesome! I love raptors.