I had unwelcome visitor at my house yesterday

[peyton]

I saw this hawk sneaking a drink at my pool and was sitting on the step handle surveying his domain!! We were eating supper and I saw something fly by the rear window. I got up and found this bubba!! It lives in our neighborhood but this is the closet we have gotten to it. I took the picture from inside the house. As soon as I opened the back door it took off!

 

[Eric300]

Nice pic. I love Hawks. I don't consider them 'unwelcome' when they're around. We have few Red Tails flying around my place. I just found a feather the other day. It's unlawful to keep the feather per migratory bird laws. Sure hope I don't do any hard time for it....

 

[Nevada Ed]

I love my "Cooper".

It helps in keeping the piegons out of my bird seed, for the little guys.

Just wish that it did a better job on the crafty, gray ground squirrels.

 

[SAFireman]

Thats a beautiful creature.....I can't figure why it would be unwelcome unless you have very small pets.

We have a pair of owls that nest right by our house. Other than some awkward moments when they screech in the dark, they are great. They eat gophers, snakes, and mice, so we are good.

 

[lkabug]

I have a Cooper's Hawk that will often visit the trees around my bird feeders.
Less common is a red tail. They are welcome. It is nature's way.

 

[ZGrand]

Beautiful bird -- nice pool!

 

[SMSgt]

I have red-shouldered hawks frequently patrolling my back yard. They've nailed ducks, doves, and squirrels that raid my bird feeder. Hawks gotta eat too. The Ospreys hunting on the canal are more interesting and frequent.

 

[CajunBass]

This old boy (or another just like him/her) used to go up the river every morning back when I was living up "Nawth" in Spotsylvania. A couple of hours later, he'd come back going down the river.

I called it the "Dawn Patrol." Kinda miss seeing them.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I occasionally see red tailed hawks, great-horned owls, and golden eagles, but my favorite has become a winter-only visitor, the gyrfalcon. I see them at window height from my loft window patrolling for cottontails out and back above my tree-lined driveway. So graceful and agile. Gorgeous creatures. Always welcome.

 

[greeman]

I had 2 visitors a few years ago

 

[glowe]

Nice pic. I love Hawks. I don't consider them 'unwelcome' when they're around. We have few Red Tails flying around my place. I just found a feather the other day. It's unlawful to keep the feather per migratory bird laws. Sure hope I don't do any hard time for it....

I have to say this hawk appears that hawk has no primary wing feathers or is a fledgling?

I have a different take on bird feeders. We put them up to entice songbirds, woodpeckers, seed-eaters to our yard, not to provide lunch for hawks. The last thing I want is a hawk taking these birds. If I did not care about my bird-feeder birds, I would not have feeders!

 

[Eric300]

I have to say this hawk appears that hawk has no primary wing feathers or is a fledging?

Probably because it's a blurry pic. It's an adult Red Tail. I was lucky enough to snap a pic while he was in motion while swooping down off the flagpole and nailed an unknow type bird on the railing. Look close at its talons and you can see the victim/lunch.

 

[lihpster]

My dad once got a call from the director of his agency. Had a VIP coming into town and the director wanted my dad to show him some of the local wildlife. The VIP was a member of the Saudi royal family and an avid falconer. The only thing he wanted to see was Peregrine Falcons in the wild. Dad told them to meet him at a bridge in town. Dad was waiting when a stretch limo pulls up and a couple of guys in suits with sunglasses get out and look around. They give the OK and out comes a guy in full arabic dress.
Dad explained that the falcons were nesting on the bridge and feeding on the local birds. He loaned the guy a pair of binocs and they sat there and watched the birds and discussed them for about 2 hours.
The only problem they had was when a couple of the homeless guys that live near the bridge started walking up to them. The security guys got nervous, but my dad explained that the homeless guys kept an eye on the birds. They made sure nobody harassed them and were proud of their "special" birds. When my dad would go check on the birds, he'd check in with the guys, usually with a couple of sandwiches, and he'd get good info on the birds' activities.
The Saudi was really taken by the fact that people with no home or money would look after the animals like that. He spoke with them as equals. Shared interests. So, my dad got to have a conversation with 2 homeless guys and a Saudi prince sitting on the hood of a limo, watching birds. He said it was an unusual day, to say the least.

 

[Bald1]

I have a treestand on an oak flat that I use in early archery season to tag a fat doe every year. The acorns bring deer, bear, squirrels, chipmunks, you name it. There is also a big Redtail Hawk who's been hanging around for years. It's amazing how noisy the woods are on an early October morning. But when that hawk comes in and perches the woods go dead for about 20 min after he leaves. Every prey animal in the woods knows he's there for breakfast.

 

[Golphin]

I get some hawks and eagles hanging out here pretty often. They are welcome to the squirrel's as far as I am concerned. Plenty of snakes for them around here also.

 

[Inusuit]

I like all sorts of birds and try to accept the cycles of nature.

 

[steelslaver]

I find all the birds of prey very interesting. Luck for me I live where there are both Golden and Bald eagles lots of hawks and owls. I have outdoor cats and know they could get taken, but the hawks that get near the house have a lot of rodents available and the nearby eagles seem to stay close to the creek. Lots of fish, muskrats, rabbits, birds and other food sources there. Plus, a road follows close by the creek and careless drivers and deer combine to furnish an abundance at fairly regular intervals.

My one big tom cat showed up once with what I suspect were talon marks on him

 

[Buford57]

Handsome fellow.

 

[NYlakesider]

I had a bunch of squirrels ans chipmunks around our property. They go after the bird seed that the Mrs Lakesider puts out. She Rube Goldberged up a couple good deterrent schemes and about all the squirrels get is what the messy birds move around that ends up on ground.

Remember I said had. At varying times we have Hawks, Eagles hanging around looking for a meal. So far this year I have not seen them do a food dive but its quite evident we have a lot less pest type animals here.

We also have on occasion a couple really big mouthed noisy owls here on some nights, what they are dinning on I do not know, mice perhaps!

 

[Smoke]

This guy used to sit on the fence at work all day long looking for field mice. I think he ate half of one snake. Either he got it or the fox got it.