When you put out a bird feeder, you have the potential of attracting a wide variety of interesting animals close to your home.
At our feeder, we get a decent variety of critters: Rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, birds and some of those animals never seem to leave, like the Mourning Dove above, they arrive, eat, and bask in the sun, which normally is no problem, but recently, and unfortunately for them, there has been a different result to they’re loitering, as shown in the photo below.
A raptor of some sort has been wreaking havoc on the Mourning Doves and the local rabbit population. I’ve seen glimpses of it rapidly flying off and away, however, this particular bird of prey is one of the fastest and most stealthy I’ve ever seen at the feeder.
And as I sat yesterday on my couch and looked out the window, I noticed something perched high in a tree about 250 yards from my home and with a direct line of sight to the bird feeder, a dark dot at that distance to the human eye but in a lens zoomed in at 300-mm, it appeared as the photo above and a months long puzzle was about to be solved.
Cropping the photo, this Red Tailed Hawk has excellent eyesight, good enough to see the feeder and what’s lying beneath it perfectly as he plans his attack.
Known to approach in a dive at speeds of up to 120 mph, these birds are a lethal weapon to anything edible on its menu.
Mystery solved. Now we just have to name it.
Any suggestions?
How about, Mad Max, or just plain, Mel? Ha.
How about Hawkeye?
That is a good one! A keeper!
What a stunning bird..can just imagine him thinking ‘oh great dinner has arrived’! thats nature….
Agreed. My daughters have seen this circle of life go round many times at this feeder. Hard to watch sometimes, but it is nature and survival.
What a beauty! I have to say I admire these fierce raptors, despite the fate of their dinner. I think Hawkeye is tres appropriate!
I am also a big fan of raptors, and I like that name was well!
What a beautiful looking fellow…as for a name, Hawkeye works well!
Agreed! Hawkeye it is!
Good choice…
Oh dear. Stop putting out food…
If I thought it would help, I’d stop. There is a large field in front of my house, and some of the other houses surrounding the field all have feeders. My house has the most tree’s and bushes, so the birds do have some refuge here where as they are in the open at the other places. I’ve only seen one sparrow taken mid-flight, last year, by a Coopers Hawk, the most impressive feat of ariel maneuvering I’ve ever witnessed. Other than that, it’s mostly the Mourning Doves which are the slowest of the visitors.
I only put seed out in the winter. We’ve had the same woodpecker family back for six years, kind of cool but they’re pecking the heck out of my trees. Maybe I put a webcam on the feeder?
Sounds like a good idea
As we looked out our kitchen window one day at an early robin, a hawk swooped down and grabbed him and then just sat there with the poor thing in its claws before flying off. Nature is beautiful but nature is brutal and I’d just as soon not see eat or be eaten side of it.
Agreed. Circle of life is tough to watch.