# Red Tail Hawk



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

One just got the surprise of his or her life when it realized that it couldn't get to where it wanted to be by flying in to our picture window.

I saw the hit and the wing spread told me right away it was a Red Tail which was surprising. We've had smaller species hit the window but never anything that big.

It was stunned and sat there for a moment on the porch then flew in to the trees.

Guess the birds stay up today.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Wow. I may see a hawk at times of the year where the crows are nest sitting. That's about it. And the crows steal eggs


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Robin, I'm surprised that hawk didn't shatter your window. We've had a couple of big red birds commit suicide by flying into a couple of our bedroom windows. Our cat loved it!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Patty, our dogs had a fit. Took them a long time to settle down. The only reason I can see why it didn't break the window was that it didn't hit it full out. I'm pretty certain it was trying to break off because the wings were fully extended. 

Sem, we have plenty of hawks around here. Even the cute little Coopers Hawk. They call it a rabbit hawk here.


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## CFAdmin (Dec 16, 2015)

Do you have problems with hawks and your chickens?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't have a lot of issues. I check first before letting the birds out, then I draw a large shade cloth over their temp outside pen. It would be a completely different story if I had breeds other than my Silkies. The Silkies are so sight challenged keeping them within a protected boundary is the only way to keep them from being a target.

That said, I have had a hawk go after peeps that were out with their Hamburg momma. That little thing puffed up like a balloon and went after the hawk. Found all of the peeps hiding in deep grass and was able to call Mom back because she was still hot after the hawk.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

One day I'm back with the chickens and I see this huge bird flying fast and low across my yard. Turned out to be a Bald Eagle! I know we have them here but never saw one. I see them once in a while on trail rides.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

From what Wild Life told me, Eagles have a huge range they cover. Why did I talk to Wild Life? The Eagle that visited our big pond in TN doing some fishing. They told me the nest could be ten miles away.

And a good reason to keep birds up when one is hanging around. No way would one of our birds escape one them.


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## sswanee17 (May 17, 2015)

My daughter lives out in the country and she has had a bald eagle hanging around. They can't even let their chickens out anymore to free range. They have four coyotes that have been staying around there so they pretty much just keep their chickens in a penned area. They have been hit by foxes, raccoons and now coyotes are hanging around so no more free ranging for their chickens. They're down to around 10 chickens and my son-in-law just ordered some chicks. Hopefully they will have better luck.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

SS, that pretty much sounds like us here. So gramps has trapped or shot. close to 10 *****, several opossums, a fox, a bobcat, squirrels to numerous to mention ( I know, squirrels don't hurt chickens, but they eat out fruit right out of the trees), & and several skunks and snakes over the years (almost 40 years) that we've lived on our place.
Eagles hang out at the lake, but they only eat fish (I was told) & we haven't had any problems with them.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

ps, our eagle population only nests here in the winter. We're at 13 chickens and I don't let them out unless one of us is close by because we've lost many chickens to predators.


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## sswanee17 (May 17, 2015)

Nanny, when I was a kid my grandpa shot everything. We ate squirrel and it was very good. Things I ate when I was a kid I dont eat now. I hate frogs legs and I can't stand the thought of eating them now. I don't know why I remember they were good. I get really annoyed with squirrels also eating my apples out of three. One bite and they throw them down. My daughter is thrilled with the bald eagle. Never thought she would enjoy being out in the country so much but she loves it. I hope her ego doesn't hang around their pond, her husband pulled out two big large mouth bass last week one was a little over 4 pounds and one was five. I never even got a bite. Lol


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I would not share my bass, LOL.
Does anyone flyfish?


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## sswanee17 (May 17, 2015)

Seminole, I don't fly fish, I never learned. I have two fly rods that belonged to my grandpa. He was the one that did everything. He fished, hunted with a traditional bow and arrow and even got his picture in the newspaper standing beside a nice buck that he had shot with his bow and arrow. I was always real proud of that. He could do anything. I know one thing I'm going to have to go out to my son-in-law's pond and trying to catch me one of those nice bass.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

nannypattyrn said:


> they only eat fish (I was told) & we haven't had any problems with them.


That's what they told me too. Not long after I saw something on TV that said showed them hunting other warm blooded animals.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Well all righty then!  I was only repeating someone else, so I guess I'll be on the look out then because we are only a couple of miles away from the lake. I barely know which end of the fishing pole to hold. Gramps really doesn't enjoy fishing, esp if he doesn't get a bite within about 5 min. of casting his pole.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The problem is, who should we believe? I was like, OK, then I don't have to worry about my birds. Then I saw an Eagle go after a rabbit, I think, and I'm thinking, what? They told me they only fish. Does that go for Bald Eagles across the country or is it a regional thing?

Are they migratory? Hmmm, I need to look that up. Because if they're not how do they fish for food when everything is frozen?


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I'm pretty sure that they are migratory. They will be gone from here by the end of March.
Maybe they only go after warm blooded critters if they don't get enough fish?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, here is the answer: http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle3.html


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

OK, I found something about migration. If the weather remains balmy they don't bother leaving and they only move as far as they need to to eat. In other words, where the water isn't frozen.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Which must be Oklahoma because our lakes never freeze except around the edges. Intresting read! Thx for sharing!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just think, because of this conversation I learned something new.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

seminolewind said:


> I would not share my bass, LOL.
> Does anyone flyfish?


,
I used to fly fish for bass many years ago. I had a 10' rod with an automatic reel and used poppers at the end of a 3' leader. The biggest largemouth bass I caught was 6.5 pounder at Back Bay in Virginia Beach, Va.


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## jn4 (Jun 21, 2012)

Dawg got a buddy who fly fishes over in the Pamlico Sound out of a Kayak. Catches Puppy drum....it's all saltwater ya know..


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