Wow - a hawk just flew past and tried to take down one of my chickens.

[hedgehog]

I didn't see any feathers on the ground, but all the chickens ran into the hen house when they saw me outside standing guard. We're on a major migratory fly way, and in recent years the hawks have been stopping off here to snack. I don't know if it's the same hawk or if they're sharing notes.

[tuckessee]

1. Keep on guard.

I've had the same problem.

I suspect some migratory bird of prey of eliminating my peachicks in years past, always during October. There would be a week or so when I'd lose a chick (by then 2/3 full grown) a day until there were none left.

I keep a tight reign on my barns cats this time year. I'd sure hate to see one carted off by some greedy fowl.

In the last two weeks I've found several gutted raccoons & I think it was the work of a bird of prey. Coyotes are too smart to mess with raccoons.

[hedgehog]

2. It's part of the price I pay for living here.

I can see the Oswego River from my front porch. I'll never forget the time I was crossing the bridge in town on foot and spotted a bald eagle taking a fish from the river. This summer there has been a pair of osprey nesting in the trees downtown.

[pitohui]

6. "greedy" fowl?

jeebus you try flying thousands of miles from canada to argentina by flapping your arms and come back and tell me how hungry you get


dollars to donuts the raccoons are being taken by resident great horned owls, not migratory hawks

[texanwitch]

3. We have red tail hawks here, they live in the woods by the railroad tracks.

I have seen them take out pigeons, dive bomb them.

The pigeons are fewer in number now.

[hedgehog]

4. Periodically, a Cooper's hawk shows up at my folks' bird feeder

to terrorize the sparrows and mourning doves.

[SmokingJacket]

5. I saw one eyeing my chickens today, too!

But mine were too nervous to go outside because it's windy today. Might be an evolutionary thing -- hawks love breezy weather.

The hawk was just hanging over the chicken run. A huge one!