Cool Hawk

[Arishmas]

Had a somewhat similar experience a few years ago with a hummingbird. Went out on the porch and a young hummingbird was caught in a spiders web. I got it unstuck and had to use dish washing liquid to remove most all of the web, dried him off and sent him on his way. About six different occasions that summer a humming bird would hover in front of my face just staring at me for several seconds. Can't swear it was the same bird but I would like to believe it was thanking me.

 

[MuleShoe]

NATURE AT ITS FINEST ! WE HAVE COUPLE AROUND THE HOUSE WHO LOVE SQUIRREL MEAT ! HAVE SEEN THEM SWOOP DOWN AND COME UP WITH A SQUIRREL ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS.

 

[GodBlessTheUSA]

I rescued one that had been hit by a car, or somehow injured it's right wing. I saw it sitting on a guardrail too many days in a row, and when I realized it was sitting waiting to eat roadkill I decided to get it to a vet. I know I looked crazy chasing it down the side of the highway, but I did catch it (it could take short hopping flights, but couldn't fly far). I threw an old coat over it and was able to get it into a small dog carrier. It made some awful noises as I drove. When I got it to a vet in Lavonia it spread it's wings and, WOW!, it was way bigger than I thought. She fed it deer heart (or maybe liver?) and rehab'd it. I also saw my first "feather flea" in its wings. Ick! Nasty bugs.


We have a nesting pair on the back of our property that have successfully raised many young over the years. At least twice they've had twins that survived. I've got several photos of hawks, one with a juvenile right above me on a swing set. One of the best was the mama teaching twins to call, all three are on the swing set.

Now, Cue the doubters:

I'm not saying they are rational, thinking creatures, but they have learned my voice. They won't sit on my shoulder, but they usually don't mind my presence. They also know I'll bring them a squirrel or two especially in the coldest months. And I believe that, like crows, they somehow pass along their comfort for our family to their young.

About every three years I have to chase a murder of crows off our property because the species don't get along. Maybe the hawks equate my voice, a shotgun blast, and dead crows with peace and quiet? (addendum: crows are very social and will hold a "wake" over a dead member of their flock / murder)

Mama is on the playhouse on the right. The juvenile on the far left is trying to call.

One of the above juveniles watching me. that's my hat on my head at the bottom. I had just finished mowing the lawn and he / she showed up. It sat on the beam of the swing set and made calling and cooing sounds to me for a long while. It kept cocking its head from side to side. My lovely wife took this photo from inside the house, hence the blur.

This was last spring's juvenile. Again, it sat there, this time on a tree house we were building, and made noises as it checked me out.

This was another set of twins in the back yard. The one on the left is spreading his wings while sitting on the exposed portion of a giant rock. At the right of the photo is a ring of fieldstone we used to contain burns, and the other twin is perched on top.

These are red-shouldered and not red-tailed hawks. We've seen some of the past years' young return to nest close to the parents, so we've had as many as three juveniles in one spring.

They are awesome creatures. Thanks for helping.

 

[41mag]

Very cool ! Thanks for sharing