Red-tailed Hawk in neighbors yard

jeff kushner

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I went out to see the "deck Dr", a euphemism Kerry and I use to describe my "wind down" activities and I saw a Hawk in my neighbors yard. He had a live squirrel under him/her and was trying to gain control. I watched for a full 5 minutes, taking a few pics during it all.

Then, b/c the pics were through the fence on that side, I went out on the other deck to get to the yard & played pansy with the trees and got a little closer before he took off with his quarry. No, I was good this time and didn't post the gory pics! As always; "open pic in new tab" gets you the full sized pic.

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What an absolutely magnificent creature. So splendid, so regal......and talk about quick......I've watched a full sized Hawk, like this guy, cut through the forest to take a squirrel off a branch, amazingly they can cut corners like a hot wheels car! Those talons could crush it's head, he just doesn't have him held that way.


Nature at it's finest...............unless your the guy under him!
 

TaraMaiden

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1996.
I was sitting in my neighbour's living room, enjoying a coffee with her... we both sat on the sofa, facing the large french window, and watching the sparrows bicker and twitter over and around the feeder she had attached to the outside, with suction cups...the back garden was at least 30' long, and the garden of the house backing onto hers, about the same... suddenly, over the roof of the house opposite, we saw a shape swoop and loom stealthily, but incredibly fast, towards us... barely moving its outstretched wings, it flew low, down the garden and was heading straight for us... about three feet away from the window, it applied air brakes, and swung its talons forward... and grabbed an unwitting sparrow. It happened so fast, we dared not blink... Sparrow Hawk - 1, sparrow - 0. Dinner was served.
 

wellington

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I have Red tailed that visit my yard too. Also Cooper hawk and Peregrine Falcons. All the birds in and around my yard, which are a lot, all go silent when any of the three are around. I got to see once, one of the Hawks swoop to get a bird but the bird dashed into the mulberry tree. The hawk jumped all around try to get it to no avail.
I love seeing them but I don't ever want to see them get another animal.
Love your pics.
 

Tom

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I went out to see the "deck Dr", a euphemism Kerry and I use to describe my "wind down" activities and I saw a Hawk in my neighbors yard. He had a live squirrel under him/her and was trying to gain control. I watched for a full 5 minutes, taking a few pics during it all.

Then, b/c the pics were through the fence on that side, I went out on the other deck to get to the yard & played pansy with the trees and got a little closer before he took off with his quarry. No, I was good this time and didn't post the gory pics! As always; "open pic in new tab" gets you the full sized pic.

View attachment 346599View attachment 346600View attachment 346601View attachment 346602View attachment 346603

What an absolutely magnificent creature. So splendid, so regal......and talk about quick......I've watched a full sized Hawk, like this guy, cut through the forest to take a squirrel off a branch, amazingly they can cut corners like a hot wheels car! Those talons could crush it's head, he just doesn't have him held that way.


Nature at it's finest...............unless your the guy under him!
GLORIOUS! The east coast DTs look a little different than the west coast ones. I went through each pic hoping to see the tail so I could tell if this was a juvie or an adult, and the very last pic shows just the hint of it that I needed to be able to tell under the top bar of the fence. That is an adult hawk. Hard to tell without a size reference, but I would guess male.

Great photos Jeff. Amazing luck that you were there to witness it first hand. Did the squirrel growl the whole time? Rabbits scream. Squirrels growl. That squirrel will no doubt be feeding the hawk's babies as they prepare to take flight and leave the nest soon. Thanks for posting.
 
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