HAWK ATTACK!

[THEMAN]

Ok so just yesterday I opened the landing board to allow my late hatches to see the world with out the "cage".  They were milling about on the ground and on the landing board for about 1hr or so.  None of them to to flight as this was their first time out.  I was writing a research paper about 5 meters from them so that I could keep a watchful eye on them to  "protect" them from predators, when out of nowhere a hawk hits the landing board were some of the pigeons were.  Luckily the pigeons on the ground must have seen him coming and jumped, spooking the birds on the landing board, thus making the hawk miss.  The hawk hit the lading board and went careening off the end were it came after another pigeon flying towards me.  Well by then I was on my feet and runing towards the hawk yelling and cursing.  The hawk cam at me and I swung at it hitting its tail feathers and sparing my little petrified late hatches life. The hawk tumbled over the fence into the neighbors yard and was not seen again.  My babies were all over some high in the air some in the loft even one under the car. lol.  Luckily they did not fly off too eradically and I got them all back.  I just couldn't believe this, I mean I had just read the posting on birds of prey the night before and have only read of such incidents, never, ever thought that I would witness it first hand.  Not to mention the fact that I live in them middle of the city!  Amazing! I opened the loft today and well, I was not suprise that only one bird came out the others did not. Stating no thanks, one near death experience is enough for us!

[Peckedhen]

Poor things, what a start to coming out into the big wide world!  I guess I'm lucky, so far - I have two white fantails which potter aroung and sunbath on the house roof - a sitting target for hawks, yet I've never seen one around!  Hope you scared  the **** out of your unwanted visitor and he never  returns!

[Guest Doostalker]

Hi The Man, it looks like you were visited by a sparrowhawk in the way you describe the incident. They are originally a woodland bird, and have much in common with their bigger relative the Goshawk. Both are now on the increase and it is reckoned that many spars are now residing in towns.

 

Both spars and gos's like to attack quickly on unsuspecting prey, appearing as if from nowhere, but in fact they usually have been sitting in a nearby tree or bush watching what is going on, and sussing out a victim.

 

The female sparrowhawk is the one which will generally attack pigeons. This is because she is about 30% larger than her mate, called a Musket. He is only big enough to attack thrushes and smaller. At this time of the year there are a lot of youngsters about, which are learning how to catch their prey. If you are "lucky" it will have been a yb and it will probably move on to where it can actually catch something. If you are not lucky it will be a mature female which may well be established in the area and will likely reappear.

 

One way to reduce any attacks is to check around the loft and if there are any trees or bushes where a spar could lie up and recce your location, cut them back/away. That will reduce the chance of an attack.You may need to talk to neighbours as well and ask if they could co operate if there are trees etc in their garden.

 

Where I am I see lots of spars and had a yb attack my birds just a couple of weeks ago. However it was slow and cumbersome, and it was not successful. I could see from its flight speed and feather condition that it was not doing well. It sat on a neighbours wall for about twenty minutes recovering before it flew very weakly away. I would be surprised if it survived the week. A substantial number of them die every year because they have not managed to learn how to take prey.

 

I also regularly see spars fly over the loft and if out my birds just look at them with no apparent fear. I think that they know from the shape of the wings etc that it is a spar, and that their method of attack is to spring out from cover. They need the element of surprise. When they see a peregrine they generally get back on the loft quickly, almost as if they know that the peregrine will attack them in flight.

 

I cut away all the large trees in my garden and most of my neighbours have done the same. They were mostly sycamores. Since then the spar attacks have been few and far between and seldom successful. Your best friends in times like these are usually the smaller birds. They will make one helluva din if they see a spar laying up in cover. Any crows in the are will also mob them fiercely.

 

Hope this helps somewhat.

[Guest]

Sorry to hear of your experience, Theman.  :'(

 

Can't veryify the truth in what I've been told is 'hawk practice' that in the event of a kill, the hawk will return to the same place at the same time the next day. I've circumstantial evidence that it may be true because in Feb 2004 I had two yearling late bred nest mates 'disappear' during their normal morning exercise period during two consecutive days. Kept the birds in for a few days following that.

 

So If you are unlucky enough to get a visit like that, or a near miss, my advice would be to lock the birds up for the next day at least, and probably two. One it'll give your birds the chance to get over the shock and two, if 'hawk return' is true, it'll make sure that your place doesn't become fixed in the hawk's memory as a location for a probable meal. Your 'next day' experience with your birds verifies the need to keep them in for their own welfare.

 

BEST REGARDS

 

 

 

[Guest shadow]

Bruno has the same system as myself by changing the time you liberate your pigeons. I still get an occasional visit but it just flys over usually surrounded by a flock of starlings screaming their heads of .  I have now put cd discs down about 24 ins from ground level and this has stopped it coming through the houses an up the drive to attack

fly hard fly fair

[jimmy white]

I HAD NEAR ENOUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS YOU ,THEMAN.    ALL THE 5 WEEK OLD YBS ALL PEACEFULLY IN THE BATH ON A BEAUTIFULL MORNING, SITTING THERE WITH A CUP OF TEA AND FAG , ENJOYING THE PEACE AND QUIET, WHEN , BANG , A HEN SPARROW HAWK CAME FROM NOWHERE, ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL HELL BROKE OUT .THESE YBS , [ NOT ON THE WING PROPERLY]SCATTERRED  SOME FLEW BACK THROUGH THE OPEN DOORS AND BELTED THE BACK OF THE LOFT, WITH SUCH A FORCE THAT MOST OF THEM WERE CONCUSSED, ANOTHER TIME I WATCHED THE HAWK GRAB A PIGEON AND FELL DOWN THE BACK OF THE LOFT, I MANAGED TO WARD OFF THE HAWK, BUT COULDNT FIND THE PIGEON, I FOUND IT LATER ,COWERING UNDER THE LOFT, STILL ALIVE, AFTER GETTING IT OUT ONLY TO FIND IT WAS MY BEST PIGEON WHICH HAD WON MANY RACES INCLUDING TAKING 3 GOOD NATIONAL POSITIONS, THIS BIRD WOULD NOT LEAVE THE LOFT FOR A LONG TIME, EVENTUALLY, HE GAINED ENOUGH CONFIDENCE AND FLEW WITH THE REST, BUT THIS BIRD NEVER EVER SCORED AGAIN , LOOSING HIM FROM RENNES, A RACE HE HAD SCORED TWICE IN

[Guest]

I've noted a few posts with 'bath' experiences similar to your own, Jimmy, e.g. Rose had a hawk land in front of her too, while her birds were bathing.  

 

I think there are too many risks for the birds nowadays to let them bathe 'outside'. (1) while they are in the bath (2) when they're lazing in the sun drying off, and (3) while they're still dampish and can't get proper 'lift' on take off; are all particularly risky times, in my opinion.

 

I'm fairly fortunate in that I have a concrete floor / driveway, part of which I turned into an aviary, attached / part of the main loft. Only two of the aviary walls are 'open', and then only from around 2/3 feet off the floor. The bath sits inside the aviary doors on an area of concrete floor kept clear of litter, approx 5 feet square . The birds bathe there free from 'prying eyes' and flake out on the litter or perches afterwards. I've got them into a routine of Sundays as bath-no-fly day, and it seems to work well. Following advice picked up elsewhere on this forum, I also give them a 'second' weekly bath on Wednesdays, because of the moult, and also stick a litre of garlic water (and from today) and a capful of malt vinegar in the bath water. I'm beginning to see a difference in them after only two weeks after following this advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[speedbird]

a few years ago i just opened the door to let widowhood cocks in & went to get there food then suddenly they all bashed out which wasnt abnormal as they sumtimes did this when realy well but on this ocasion it was the hawk that caused it when i looked it had a bird in its claws a blue pied cock which was the best bird at the time in my loft i ran after it shouting & curseing which it then dropped nearby & when i ran towards it let go & shot off couldnt believe it went through the door!! he was a bit shook up but ok never stopped him winning

[Guest]

THEMAN personally id of got me 2.2 air rifle out and took some shots at the hawk making sure i got at least one of the shots on target!!!!!

[Guest]

Speedbird, two fanciers in my local area have had hawks follow their birds inside the loft - a sparrowhawk in one, and a goshawk in the other.

[Guest shadow]

I would not be tempted to shoot any hawk if you live in an area like mine surronded by neighbours which overlook my garden it's possible for some one to hear or see you and the next thing is you have the police knocking on your door as we all know the b##### things are protected. . I have had a tame female harris hawk land on my loft and scatter my young birds cost me 11 youngsters that never returned. Which unfortunatly my wife insisted on reporting to the RSPCA to come and collect it

 

fly hard fly fair

[Guest Doostalker]

Thought you might like to read this extract from The Shooting Times of 15 September 2005.

 

"No Defence From Kestrels

 

Round the clock security to protect one of Britain's rarest seabirds from vandals and foxes has been thwarted by a local kestrel which alone has been seen snatching 143 little tern offspring at a bird colony in Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk. Following the onslaught by the kesprel only 11 chicks are believed to have fledged successfully this breeding season."

 

I wonder what the RSPB are saying about this?  : Call me old fashioned, but by removing one, or possibly a pair of kestrels from this location before the terns' breeding season, the future of this rare bird could be better guaranteed. But of course, the kestrel is a raptor, which means it cannot be touched, even though the kestrel is plentiful, and the tern is not. Words fail me??  >