HAWK!

Our dog "Coco" was looking out of the window in Clayton and started barking. I went to see what the commotion was about and saw a hawk perched on the fence gate near our feeders. They sometimes come in and take a Dove or other meaty birds. The grainy pictures were taken through the window. I think it was a Red Shouldered Hawk.



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The hawk made another visit this morning but I could not get a photo. The feeder birds scatter like crazy when the hawk shows up and one often crashes into our window trying to escape the predator.

Good fun.
I too get Hawks. The most common for me is the Red-shouldered. The most "bird deadly" are the smaller Sharp-shinned and Coopers. They are the ones who attack my birds. The larger Hawks are mostly too slow and are looking for ground critters like voles, mice, lizards, frogs, snakes, etc. Hawks have a long life span. I have never seen any large hawks attack my birds. The Sharp-shinned and Coopers have a go at them. They are fast enough to chase them on the wing.
The birds naturally know the difference in a hawk and say a dove. They will clear the area. Blue Jays and Crows mimic a hawk's call just to clear my yard.


Backyard feeders are not hopping at my place right now. This is the best time of year for birds as the woods and bushes are full of seeds and insects. It is not a good time for feeder bird watching.
On the porch now waiting on the Wake-BC game to start at 5:30.
So far birds are less. I have about ten Cardinals that are a constant and are most of the activity. I have Hummingbirds. I have one Tanager going bush to bush. I have an occasional Finch, Chickadee, and Titmouse. One Nuthatch and one Downy have showed. Throw in a couple Doves and that is it.

Pretty much the same for me. I have a similar collection of feeder birds and I do not have to refill quite as often. I do have hummers but not as many as last September.

I think you are right about the smaller hawks. I do have some Red Shouldered Hawks that nested in the woods behind us. One day after being gone most of the day, I found a squirrel's mostly eaten carcass laying across the top of one of my bluebird boxes!? I think one of the Red Shouldered ones might have dined there?