"My" Hawks - thought I'd share some pictures

[Gooter]

I live in such a great place!  My property is home to lots of wildlife, but I think none are more special to me than the hawks that live here.  I've had a Red Shouldered hawk as resident since I moved here 4 years ago, and last year he took a mate.  Also last year a Cooper's Hawk female moved into the area, and I saw her with a mate during summer.  The Red Shoulder hawk male (I think it's a male, but it's hard to know) was apparently hand raised for a time because I can get within about 20 feet of him to take pictures and watch him.  His woman isn't so comfortable - she stays out of sight mostly.  He can't hunt either.  I have video of him hunting WORMS, and bugs, which is apparently most of what he lives on.  And the carcasses I put out.

I wasn't sure which hawk was boss, until today.  The hawks have been coming to a raccoon carcass I put out for the critters (the vultures and foxes are apparently full of deer guts at the moment) for the past few days.  Sorry for the not so great photos, but I took them from my (dirty) window in the house so as not to spook them.  First the Cooper female (she's an immature female) was on it, feeding for some time.  But just as I was having to replace the batteries in my camera, down swooped that Red Shouldered hawk and ran her off!  Spectacular little battle they had, but unfortunately my camera wasn't in any position to shoot just at that moment!  DARN!  Anyway, thought I'd post a few pictures, because not too many folks I think play hostess to hawks who eat their skinned out critters regularly!  I was surprised that these two species share such close territory, but they have for the past year.  You should hear the ruckus when that Cooper takes a crow!
Enjoy!
Eileen

[Gooter]

and another..

[Gooter]

and the red...

[Gooter]

Here's a couple more so you can see the coloring on him better.  These Red Shouldered hawks are incredibly beautiful!

[Gooter]

one more

[Brian]

just keep em your way. damn hawks are putting a hurtin on my bantams and pigeons. but i guess they got to eat too. awesome pics. thanks

[byrdman]

 hate them coopers hawks just like rats with wings not good for anything but killing songbirds and domestic birds and gamebirds

[RDA]

cool shots!!  Those smaller hawks  do a LOT  more killing than the average eagle,  which is right next to buzzards  IMO...

[igor]

Very nice shots, thank you for sharing. The first two pics look like immature bird to me. What do you think?

[AOTaxi]

just keep em your way. damn hawks are putting a hurtin on my bantams and pigeons. but i guess they got to eat too. awesome pics. thanks

I hear ya there, I lost four of my good rollers to a hawk last week. He has set up home in a big tree down the road about 300 yards from the house.
AO

[BeckyBird]

That's really nice of you, to help out the disabled hawk! And, in turn, you don't have to worry about what to do with all those pesky carcasses. You are so lucky, to be able to watch the hawks every day. I saw one on the power lines yesterday, and it made my day. If I could attract them to my yard like you, I would never leave my window!

[Peter Span]

hate them coopers hawks just like rats with wings not good for anything but killing songbirds and domestic birds and gamebirds

Now thats a littlebit shortsighted, don't you think?

[Gooter]

Yes Igor, that Cooper is an immature female.  She had a male with her (mature) for the breeding season but I've not seen him for more than a month.

I'd be a bit frustrated if I had hawks taking birds from my pens too.  But in an area like this that has a ton of wildlife, you have to fence on all sides, down into the ground.  It's not just the hawks that will take birds and chicks, but foxes, skunks, coons, etc.  I don't know why I have all the hawks, but these 2 aren't all I've got.  A sharp-shinned hawk stays near and occasionally takes a dove or finch from the feeder, and I have falcons that I see regularly too.  They're FAST!  And they take birds on the wing.

I love having these birds here.  They are very vocal, especially the Red Shouldered hawk.  Wish they'd turn their focus to the pigeons and house sparrows that are around.  When I first realized that the 'male' Red Shouldered hawk can't hunt properly I was pissed that someone had apparently tried to raise him and then either dumped him or let him escape.  But he seems to do fine with the worms and bugs that he eats.  And the carcasses.  My biggest worry has been that someone with chickens would shoot him because he gets close to people.  So far he stays around my property and lives.  The day that I took this picture, last spring, he was just inside the vineyard across the street and I stood maybe 20 feet from him taking pictures, talking with the owner of the vineyard all the while he was hunting worms there.  Wonderful, and yet it bothered me.  We talked there in front of him, watching him, for more than an hour.  Anyway, here he is in the vineyard out front, at sunset.  If anyone wants some higher resolution photos of these hawks, feel free to pm me.
Eileen

[falco]

Hey Byrdman,,,, if you hate those coopers hawks,, you`d better get into Falconry,, then you would love them,, just because all they know is killing. and thats all a Falconer is asking from his bird.

[tomdes]

Our yard was a bird sanctuary with many gold finch, cardinals, robins, doves, woodpeckers (3 types), grosbeaks, titmouse and many more, then last year a cooper hawk family moved in about 100 yards away. They had 3 chicks, so all summer long it was this constant screeching. But the birds learned quickly, and we hardly saw anything all summer, almost a total void of birds!! But they were back this year because the coopers nested elsewhere. But it was amazing watching them chase mourning doves..