Hawk behavior

[Puck]

Ricks point about farmland returning to forest is in my opinion why these animals are coming back more and more. 150 yrs agao about 80% of New England was cleared for farms now about 80% is "forested"

Reforestation is a big factor. Suburban sprawl is also a big factor. In combination animals will have habitat and food. Racoons, possums, skunks et al. are no strangers to sububia on garbage night. Deer wonder wooded areas between houses. There is zero hunting pressure in these areas. So populations are soaring. I can see more wild mammals on my street in one night then I could see on a backpack trip to the Pemi (See I made the post on topic) So with all of these prey species the foxes and coyotes move in. Great for nature lovers.

One of my common hikes in CT I can get to an ear popping altitude of 740'. From this vantage point the suburban area looks like a forest as the trees are tall enough to hide the houses and streets. All seems great as appearances go. However, nation wide there is a marked decrease in bird population. One habitat effected is the grassland/meadow due to reforestation as Brian W. mentioned. Yet forestland birds are also on the decline. Thrushes, owls and accipitors have been effected. (Studies from National audobon and Cornell)The cause can be due to forest fractionalization and loss of habitat and piosoning of the neotropical passerines. Although the mammals are doing better the birds are still in trouble.

 

[spider solo]

On a avian theme it is a bit of a paradox that a bird like our year round Redtail Hawk has (as far as I know) been holding it's own in these parts where as the more migatory species have been taking a pretty hard hit.
It's kind of a Catch 22 for Redtails. One image that has stayed with me is that of a Redtail flying into perch on top of a prefab metal chimney on a new house in a new development down the road from me. ..a perfect picture of the conflict that they face.
In a different day, different place ,I was much surprised while bush whacking that I stopped abrubtly when I realized I was a bit "nose to nose" with a Redtail Hawk perched about chest high on a stump a few feet away from me.
I never did figure out why he hadn't flown as soon as it heard me come stumbling along...though this year it happened with a couple other species "up north". Near as I can figure their behavior was simply that they didn't really differentiate us from that of a deer or moose crashing around and those individuals considered us as non threats though the rule of thumb even within their own species would have been to take flight.
Days like that are special days indeed !

(....I did have a story or two about people and decomposing corpses around the house but they are pretty gross and I really didn't want to drift the thread over to that I just as soon give owls that distinction..One theory is they have no sense of smell...hence skunks on the diet menu.)

 

[Jim lombard]

Posted by Puck:

So from feb on please keep your cats and small dogs inside.

Good point Puck
It's November and I'm hearing what sounds like a very large owl in my backyard last night night. Our cat goes out for a brief forray at 7pm but as soon as she hears that owl she comes and frantically scrapes at the door to come in. Great Horned owls will also attack people sometimes.

 

[Puck]

Jim. Listen to this http://owlpages.com/species/bubo/virginianus/sounds/greathorned1_naturesongs.mp3.

If you hear it keep the critters inside.

Spider,
yes birds have a weak sense of smell at best. However, they make up for it in hearing and eyesight.

Well to get this thread back on topic....has anyone seen any rough legged hawks?

 

[Jim lombard]

Thanks Puck, that's the critter alright.

 

[brianW]

My understanding is that some birds of prey populations are doing well because humans are opening up larges swaths of area (roads and median strips) which make it easier for them to find prey. This is one reason you see many hawks along the highways. I believe in some parts of the world a method for biological control of rodents in crops is to make clearings so owls can hunt "easier".

As for bird populations going down, I feel it could be a combination of many things. Migratory birds for example have to deal with habitat loss and pollution not in one area but winter/summer areas and along migratory routes. For local residents, look at the forest around us in the northeast. There are large stands of red pine, a non-native species, which has basically no ecological benifit for the native animal species.

 

[Grumpy]

Just a Hawk & Owl Yarn . . .

For several years a goshawk (or goshawks) nested along a trail in a park not far from my home, where I frequently go for walks. Strange experience, hearing shrill cries and then getting buzzed by the a large gray bird repeatedly as it swoops down into the trail corridor and comes right at you. I ducked more than once. My dog largely ignored these shows, and seemed to wonder what all the fuss was about.

One year the nesting goshawk didn’t show up. In its place could be seen a round-headed thing, with large eyes and distinct horns. And then some miniature versons of that beast. Great horned owls had moved in. They nested there successfully for one year, and apparently the next, for more young owls could be seen in March. But great winds swept through the area for a few days during April, and then all was gone -- nest, owl, owlets. They haven’t returned.

I miss that nest, those birds, and the shows they put on, just for my benefit, of course.

G.

 

[Dugan]

Roads and lights can make a difference with birds of prey, scavengers too. A couple of years ago I had a juvenile barred owl that would perch barely outside the range of my garage light. It'd fly down to grab just about anything that moved (for whatever reason, frogs were not on the menu). It came by almost every night for about three months. Very cool.

Jim_lombard: about Great Horned Owls attacking people... I had one dive bomb me from behind on an early morning run several years ago. It came in from behind, about a foot over my head, then dropped maybe another foot lower before soaring back up and going away. Just about gave me a heart attack. It's true, you cannot hear their wings. Always wondered what that was about.

BrianW's post about the Fisher Museum run by Harvard Research Forest. It's in Petersham. Well worth the trip. Good walks in their research areas too (dogs allowed).

 

[Stan]

Audrey, if you're interested in some easy local training hikes for Genie I'd suggest Breakheart Reservation in Saugus. Hiked there last Thursday and saw four red tailed hawks ... also the obligatory mallards and a night heron. If peakbagging is your interest, there are seven peaks over 200 feet!

We live in a suburban neighborhood, surrounded by five 150 year old oak trees and 150,000 squirrels ... until a young red tail showed up. I have some good video footage of this regal character but am quite amused at how aggressively the blue jays dive bomb and squawk at him ... I can only speculate that the hawk concluded that blue jays aren't worth the effort to nab, once you clean them there's probably not much left.

 

[jjmcgo]

Pet cats have had a huge role in decreasing songbird populations.

 

[Jim lombard]

Posted by Dugan

I had one dive bomb me from behind on an early morning run several years ago. It came in from behind, about a foot over my head, then dropped maybe another foot lower before soaring back up and going away. Just about gave me a heart attack. It's true, you cannot hear their wings. Always wondered what that was about.

I'm not sure either, I wonder if it's because you were around their nest. My best friend's dad swung a branch as the owl attacked, he connected and killed it. It got stuffed and resided in their living room.

 

[spider solo]

geez sorry to hear that...