We feed a lot of birds here in the back yard and outside my kitchen area. I have at least 4 feeders that, during the summer, I fill daily. I can actually fill them twice a day most summer days! At an given time I can have 50 to 80 birds either on the feeders or the ground scrounging for the spilled seed or for the larger black sunflower seeds kicked out by the smaller birds looking for the tasty millet. One day we counted 15 varieties of bird and three varieties of squirrel!
When we went on vacation last year, I had someone come and fill the feeders every day. But they told me the feeders stayed full after the first day. Hmmm. When I got home, there were no birds to be seen, anywhere.The answer became clear tht afternoon. A red-tail hawk positioned himself in the tree above the feeders and waited. He had had free access for 10 days with no interruptions from dogs or people and he took full advantage of it.
Slowly the birds came back but not in as great numbers, so he must have feasted on bird for a while.
Every once in a while I see the hawk in the tree, or in the driveway trees. And more often than that I will see a pile of downy feathers on the ground. I once watched an owl get a squirrel dinner on my front lawn!
So when I looked out my kitchen window and saw the foot tall hawk sitting not 8 feet from the house, watching the kitchen feeder, I ran for the camera. I think it was either a Red Tailed Hawk or a Swainson's Hawk. Both are spectacular birds. But they do eat my feeding birds. You wont' get to see pictures because the camera has given up the ghost. So I am not sure to call it lucky that it is so close to Christmas and my birthday so I can get a new one, or to say I am unlucky now that I will get a camera for my birthday since it is so convenient.
I can't complain, I have used this Sony Cybershot across the world, taken 1000s of pictures with it and it hs served me well. I take pictures every day and carry it in my purse with me all the time. It sits in my hot car, and takes spectacular photos every time!
On the other hand, you would think that after 58 years, I would be used to having a birthday so close to Christmas, but I am not. I really hate it.
Because, you know, any other month of the year, I would have just gotten a new camera anyway!
glen
pretty! I do not usually see hawks close by the house and we have no dogs to keep them away
ReplyDeleteMy brother and wife do the same at least 4 feeders as well as suet feeders everywhere. They even have named some of the ones that come every day. They get wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, countless other birds. It's awesome! Bad about the hawks but that's the way Mother Nature works.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family including the dogs of course ;-)
We have two HUGE owls who live on our street! They often call to each other and I've heard them making owl kind of whooppi during the night! (owls are LOUD!!)
ReplyDeleteWe have a hawk who lives in a tree right next to my house. The first time I heard him, I was terrified. There was all this noise on the side of my house, banging and booming... so I slowly opened the side door and looked out. There was Mr. Hawk sitting next to my house eating his catch, he looked at me like "you got a problem lady?" and I just closed the door and let him eat!
I have feeders too, love the birds, but I won't get involved in the circle of life either!
Right now it's winter and I need to get some pics because we get thousands and thousands of Sand Hill Cranes here. They are very cool!!!