My wife and I witnessed a shocking thing yesterday

[Dennis The B]

We have a pair of nesting northern goshawks in our neighborhood. The other morning, I was on our front porch, and the male flew past me, just missing a black squirrel. I've seen both go after birds and other small critters, and they're nearly silent predators. Beautiful to watch.

 

[rog8732]

This experience is still difficult to believe, and without the anonymity of the internet, I do not speak of it.

We have a man-made Blue Bird house just to the outer edge of the yard where we could sit on the deck, watch and enjoy, without disturbing the residents.

When I mowed and edged around it, the parents would wait just a little ways off till I left before bringing food to the young ones, and often I would turn off the mower and talk to them, assuring them I meant no harm........Felt a little silly, maybe, but it seems they would cock their heads and comprehend.

One afternoon there was such a commotion at the back glass door by both parents, we stepped out to see what was going on. They flew back and forth between us and the birdhouse till I noticed old "Mr No Hips", starting to coil himself around the mounting post, heading for the babies.

I have zero patience with an unruly snake, and I dispatched him with a garden hoe. Seems old black snake could "dish it out", but he couldn't take it too well, when face to face with a sharp hoe.

While that pair, (I think) of birds had returned to the house several years in a row; after they got their younguns flying that year, they never returned.
I have taken the box down, cleaned and painted, and will put it back in a different location this spring........If "spring" ever gets here again.

 

[shouldazagged]

I love all the raptors, especially the beautiful little kestrels that can hover seemingly endlessly. We have redtails that hunt around where I live, and occasionally I'll see one of the peregrines that nest downtown hunting this area. They are the F-16's of the bird world.

But my favorites of the birds of prey are the incredibly-engineered barn owls, the perfect predators.

 

[model70hunter]

Then there was the Pheasant that arrived at a window in time the exact moment a 1 1/8th oz load of #6's did from my Beretta Light weight Onyx. Dinner devine.

 

[Shooting Padre]

I actually got to see a wasp pick a fly out of the air. The fly had buzzed me and I brushed it away. Still looking at the fly, I saw the wasp grasp it in mid air and land on a branch and started doing whatever it does to flies. I grabbed for my camera but too late, it took off before I could get the shot. I guess some moments are best observed and not captured.

 

[boatme99]

The same thing happened to me.
One morning, in Bowie, Md., the family was sitting on the back porch having breakfast, when a small hawk ca.e out of nowhere and nailed a robin that was looking for worms, not 6 feet from us.
A pretty impressive sight.

 

[2hawk]

This guy likes to visit our yard every once in awhile. Hangs out near the feeders, but I have never seen him (or her, who knows) score a meal.




Always impressive to see, especially at close range!

 

[ATF]

This pic is doing the rounds at the moment:

Weasel rides woodpecker; Internet goes crazy - CNN Video

 

[oneflycowboy]

Here is one in my back yard late last fall. There eye sight is incredible. I have seen them swoop down and pick up snakes in the summer time.

 

[Fishinfool]

Several years ago, I was driving down a country road, when I caught a blur out of the corner of my eye. A Red Tailed Hawk had pounced on something along side the road. I stopped as he lifted off. He got a few feet over the road, and dropped it. Turned out it was a rabbit. he swooped back down and grabbed it again, then gave me a "back off" look. I was able to grab the camera off the passenger seat, and get a shot before he flew off with his dinner.

Larry

 

[M3Stuart]

Was it a RAF Harrier, or did it have USMC markings?

 

[CajunBass]

As my supervisor and I were walking out of the plant one morning after a graveyard shift, we heard a POP, just the sound you would make if you smacked your hands together HARD. I looked up and saw a "puff" of feathers in the air, and a hawk with a pegion in it talons flying away.

 

[PA Reb]

Hawks are just out hunting and are cool to watch. Wolves are evil and must be eliminated.

"Eliminated?" Controlled maybe but never eliminate any species no matter how much you don't like them. Wolves, like all other predators, "are just out hunting" also.

 

[walkin jack]

"Eliminated?" Controlled maybe but never eliminate any species no matter how much you don't like them. Wolves, like all other predators, "are just out hunting" also.[/QUOTE

I would basically agree with that...with two exceptions; mosquitos and cockroaches.

 

[Arik]

Hawks are just out hunting and are cool to watch. Wolves are evil and must be eliminated.

Hopefully that was a joke otherwise that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!

 

[CajunBass]

"Eliminated?" Controlled maybe but never eliminate any species no matter how much you don't like them. Wolves, like all other predators, "are just out hunting" also.[/QUOTE

I would basically agree with that...with two exceptions; mosquitos and cockroaches.

My wife said "Tell him to add spiders to the list." She'll join the campaign.

 

[yeti]

I tossed out a much enjoyed pheasant carcass I had for dinner one night. Late before bed we heard some noise and looked out our kitchen window to see an opossum crunching up the remains. Both the wife and I were watching with the kitchen lights off to see outside when.... Something huge positively stomped the Opossum from above. It was a huge beautiful Great Horned Owl! We were no more than 10 feet away behind the dark window...and didn't move a muscle. The owl kept wings apart for a few moments and squeezed it's talons into the prey until it ceased struggling. The huge owl then folded wings and just stayed there scanning the area left and right for an additional minute or so. I guess I expected a hover like lift-off with a somewhat heavy adult Opossum, but that owl flew off quickly with it's dinner in tow like it was nothing! Gone in a blink. Absolutely amazing to witness.

 

[Frizzman]

After being sick with Lyme Disease for nearly two years...TICKS are tops on my "Eliminate list".

Years ago, while on lunch break from work, I went to a fast food drive-thru to order something to eat. I was stopped at the ordering speaker/menu board, waiting for the cars ahead to move up. It was a nice Spring day so my windows were open. On the grass patch around the board a few feet from my open window was a robin looking for worms that I was enjoying watching...Well, in light of the topic, one can guess what happened. The last I saw of the shrieking robin, it was clutched in the talons of some raptor. At that moment, I heard, "Welcome to Blah Burger. May I take your order?"...I said I had changed my mind and then pulled out of line and went back to work.

I am not squeamish and was a hunter in the past. I know we all have to eat. I like the raptors and usually enjoy watching them. There are nesting bald eagles and hawks on the electrical towers around my neighborhood...But that sudden predation right in front of me was a shock. It ended my appetite for that lunch...Being a human being, I tend to feel some connection to other creatures. I am a veteran and former LEO, so I'm not living in a fantasy world but the sometimes cruel processes of nature can be ugly up close and personal.

 

[long colt frazier]

I was wondering where all the little birds went. All that's left on my feeder is this big one.
Mark

 

[redlevel]

Nature at work... some of it not always suitable for "Disney audiences."

Nature is a Mother.