BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk

Subject: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 09:46 AM

I am sorry can't find the dang bird watching thread. This is soooo cool
I went outside with my Weiner dogs and right outside my wire fence this morning was a black squirrel running around. In a blink of an eye a big big red tailed hawk swooped down and nail him about 15 feet from me. He just looked at me and my dogs barking like "get your own squirrel this one is mine", grabbed it by his talons and took off ...

What a sight, I wish I had my cell with me to video it.

felt sorry for the squirrel but hey he has to eat also. Most of my life living in and around the woods , never saw that before

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 09:51 AM

Now do I have to worry about it flying off with my little wiener dog? No kidding my little bella is only 6 lbs. hmmm just thought about that.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: bobad
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 09:52 AM

I once saw a hawk pluck a red squirrel right off the wall of my shed.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: bobad
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 09:57 AM

I was once walking down our dirt road with my border collie who was well ahead of me and a hawk came swooping down at him - I whistled and as the dog turned to face the hawk it veered off. I have no doubt it would have sunk it's talons into my dog and done some damage, possibly breaking his neck.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 10:04 AM

Bobad
I think you are right, I don't think I will let the little girl out alone without my 130 lb lab/whatever mix with her. He thinks she is his and watches every move she makes ... still I am a bit concerned. I have a yard full of squirrels and there is so much food around the vineyards with all the grapes and nut trees the squirrels are huge and that bird took him out in a blink of an eye ...

Interesting walking around the vineyards I use to find little bones on the top of the grape posts, could never understand why,   One day I saw a big red tail hawk eating something while sitting on top of the grape posts in the vineyards. That is where it was coming from.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 10:11 AM

You're quite right to worry and be wary. Many a petite pet have been taken by winged raptors.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: frogprince
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 10:24 AM

Wasn't sure, when I saw this, whether it was about a bird or whether Winona had spanked George.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: maeve
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 10:29 AM

Dan- It seems that the largest female Red-tailed hawks weigh about three pounds, and can carry prey up to about 5 pounds, according to this source, also posted on the 2010 Birdwatching thread.


Raptor's 2010 Birdwatching thread is here

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 11:00 AM

At our summer cabin in Wisconsin, we often see bald eagles. I have never seen them take an animal on land, but I have several times seen them swoop down and grab a fish off the surface of the lake.

I didn't personally witness this, but my wife once saw an eagle that evidently had hold of something that was too heavy for him to lift out of the water, so he was dragging it to shore. I'll bet you didn't know eagles could swim, did you? Well, it wasn't swimming with its feet, like a duck, but it was "rowing" with its wings. It sounds pretty bizarre, but afterwards I confirmed that other people have witnessed this same behavior.

I once saw an eagle swoop low over a flock of swimming ducks. The ducks scattered, and he didn't get one.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:09 PM

Up at my camp (member photos), for the last two summers I had the camp. a P. Falcon would perch on the railing of the deck over the porch and hunt for mice, partridge, rabbits, snakes, toads, whatever on the lawn. I could sit in the screened in porch or on the railing on the lower deck in full view of it and watch for hours. It was amazing. I named it beaker. I would talk to it. Often it would glare at me as if to say, "Shut the fuck up. Can't you see I'm huntin here?"

Once, Beaker went after about ten mice in a row and missed every one. On the last attempt, Beaker lifted and tried to avoid the large satallite dish (came with the camp; I never used it) but ended up grabbing on to avoid a collision. The talons on Beaker's right leg was caught in the mesh.

I let it alone for about ten minutes but it was obvious the bird was tiring and it was getting it's tail feathers damaged. I got my leather gloves, wire clippers and pliars and went aorund the back of the dish. Beaker was freaking and thrashing until I bellowed "STOP!" as loud as I could. I started talking calmly and the bird settled.

The rear and middle talons were hooked in the mesh such that they could not be stretched enough to gain release. I deftly cut the mesh until I could use the pliers to open it and WHOOSH! Back to the railing.

I got a hunk of my steak that I was to BBQ that day and threw it on the deck. He took it! I always thought they wouldn't. The last few times I saw beaker, I was allowed to sit on the deack while it hunted from the railing... at the opposite end, with lots of furtive glances, of course. Wish I had a camcorder back then.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:20 PM

I use to sit between two large pines on the river back. In a pine close by there was a large crag branch broken off about 20' out over the river. A bald eagle would come perch and hunt the river... several times only as it saw me one day and would always check for me after that.

Watched it nail a duck one day. It was amazing. It did not go after the ducks who were swimming around underneath it. And the ducks didn't seem to be concerned. All they had to do was dive, I guess.

The eagle waited until a duck went under to go after salmon par in a pool about 100m away. The eagle lifted straight up to about 30m over the water and hovered. Then it folded, dropped about 10m, spread it's wings just as the duck resurfaced, banked, swirled, dove and nailed the duck as it was trying to lift with a par in it's mouth.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:21 PM

Thanks for the interesting stories, everybody. I'm a bird-watcher too.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:26 PM

maybe we can rename the thread to "bird stories" or something like that so it goes along with the birdwatching thread. I love the critters.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: Amergin
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:33 PM

Oh I thought this was going to be about a Kate Wolf song....

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:39 PM

I saw a smallish hawk attack the finches at the bird feeders on 2 separate occasions. The first time he missed, but on the 2nd attempt (a day or two later) I think he got one of them.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 12:40 PM

One Saturday night, we was all gooned up and decided on a mud run at midnight. Yeah, I know... dumb. But goodolboys from the fly infested bog country a Kent County, New Brunswick... well... you know.

So we're cruisin easy on the Parallel Road... that's the first road after ya go up the Entrance Road. We were just past the Trailer Road when I see this juvenile Great Horned owl lift off the side off the road with a rabbit. The rabbit squirmed free, dropped about 2m and scooted. The owl, about a 1.2m wing span flew up the road, elevated and lit. I kept on. When we neared it again, it lifted, swooped, flew up the road, and lit is similar fashion. This was repeated once more.

At this point, I thought I had better get by the owl so as not to disturb or distress it anymore. I put some gas at my bike, and cruised by it. Now. I was pissed when the gubmint made helmets mandatory, but I am glad I had one on that night when that owl came from behind and nailed me. Actually knocked my head forward hard enough that I thought one of the lads behind me had hit me with sommat... until I saw it lift in front of me again.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: frogprince
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 01:06 PM

Now that has to be about the ultimate "bird watching" experience, gnu! Were you wearing a pony tail at the time? Or is it that you love nature, but nature hates you...?

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 01:25 PM

One time up country, I went past the Parallel Road about 800m and took an easterly bearing through to the Trailer Road. If ya pick yer way just right, ya go through beech groves and silver beech groves, and... the works.

I started by threading through a small pine copse and sat on a 5' diameter fallen pine. It was mid October and I noticed quite a few robins. I continued and came to a maple grove. There was a buck deer sound asleep in the middle of it sleeping in the warm afternoon sun. I stopped and rolled a smoke. I noticed the robins.... at least two robins per 4 square feet.

When I scratched the match to light my smoke, the buck raised his head off his ass (ye who knows how they sleep understand), saw me wave at him and he routed in a thunder. He was huge... over 300 pounds and he was gone in a flash, with a LOT of noise and leaves and dirt flying.

Thing is, when he routed, he scared the crap out of the robins. They lifted en masse.... even those that were quite a ways away. I have never seen two thousand robins at once. Seriously. In about 500m, I saw several thousand robins.

I told the lads when I got back to the trailer. Rocky asked, "How many did ya get?"

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 01:35 PM

Froggy... I got a lot better than that. Started when I was 5 and stopped when I was 48 or 49.

Now... I got a lotta moose stories... and a lotta Moosebird stories.

One of the Moosebird atories involves Beaker.

Beaker went after a Moosebird one day after I fed the Moosebird a mosue I caught. Beaker never went after one again in my presence. Involved a BBQ spatula and a LOT of yelling cuss words.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 03:48 PM

So, I parked my truck and camper (before I had the old travel trailer) at the bottom of the trailer road at about 2PM. Took the afternoon off. Figured I would get supper on the go and then take a 4 hour walk. Peel veggies and stuff.

I was having a chat with Alfred and chopping onions when SHIT! A Moosebird flies in the door and lights on the floor... scared me. So, I know it's one that knows me. I grabbed a Dad's Oatmeal cookie (check em out.... best storebought oatmeal cookie I ever ate) and gave him a piece... "Here ya go, Stupid." Stupid and I became great friends.

Now, anyone what knows yer Moosebirds (Grey Jay, Canada Jay, Whiskey Jack, Camp Robber....) knows that they will follow you if you feed them... or if they know you are the biggest, baddest predator in the woods.

But, stupid was one better. Stupid would not follow. He would lead. And he (she?) would light in a tree ahead of me and call whee-whoo while staring at sommat... as if on point like a bird dog. Sure enough, stupid would get a feed on grouse.

No shit. That's not a word of lie. Two falls. Every time I went up country, all I had to do was whistle. Stupid would come right quick and be my company and bird dog (bird bird?) until I left. Never told a soul til now. It's kinda like cheatin eh?

Brings tears to my eyes to recall our symbiotic relationship. besides the fact that Stupid would do the most comical shit.

I got pics a stupid but no way to post them.

OH! Yeah!

One time, this here Newf come over and come up with me. Stupid took a dislike to the lad on accounta he was pissed that Stupid was eatin his lunch when he went in the camper fer some ketchup and yelled and ran at Stupid.

Fer the whole long weekend, Stupid would wait until the time was right and fly past the Newf's head from behind with a mm to spare and scare the shit out of him. He kept saying he was gonna shoot that fookin bird... but I told him it would be at his peril on accounta my Gramps told me when I was a wee boy that killin a Moosebird brought bad luck fer the rest of yer life.

And, I also told him the rest of his life wouldn't be long if he fucked with Stupid.

More tears in my eyes. I miss the woods terribly.

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: maeve
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 04:37 PM

Love the stories, everyone.

Gnu- Yep. We do too.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 04:53 PM

Awww, m. My heart goes out to a kindred sprit(s).

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 05:17 PM

My friend Al lived next to me growing up, he raised a baby crow and released it as an adult. We would be playing ball in the park and that thing would swoop down and land on his head. That went on for nearly 3 years from time to time it would come back and land on him or his porch ... amazing .. I love that crow, he was something else ... and he would appear out of no where with a flock of other crows

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 05:22 PM

Cool, Dan. Sommat magical when you make a connectin like that, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Red Tailed Hawk
From: Bobert
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 05:30 PM

Well, everything is extra hungry 'round here with 30 inches of snow piled up... These last few days while I've been on the tractor diggin' out there has been this same hawk glidin' around thru the trees lookin' for anything... He's out there all day long flyin'... I know the bird 'cause he lives here all year 'round but there ain't much movin'... The flyin' squirrels only come outa at night so he's screwed there... The mice aren't around... The grey squirrels ain't movin'... Reckon he'd eat cat food if I put some of that out fir him...

B~

Subject: ADD: Redtail Hawk (George A. Shroder)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 07:10 PM

If you live in California for any amount of time, the Redtail Hawk becomes sacred to you. We think of it as our bird. I was surprised to see Jim Dixon say there are Redtails in my home state of Wisconsin - I don't remember them.
I didn't see the lyrics for the song that Kate Wolf recorded, so here they are:


THE REDTAIL HAWK
(George A. Shroder)

The redtail hawk writes songs across the sky.
There's music in the waters flowing by.
And you can hear a song each time the wind sighs
In the golden rolling hills of California.
In the golden rolling hills of California.

It's been so long, love, since you said goodbye.
My cabin's been as lonesome as a cry,
But there's comfort in the clouds drifting by
In the golden rolling hills of California.
In the golden rolling hills of California.

A neighbor came today to lend a hand,
He saw I'd fixed the road as best I can;
But there's s just some things that need a man's hand
In the golden rolling hills of California.
In the golden rolling hills of California.

The redtail hawk writes songs across the sky.
There's music in the waters flowing by.
And you can hear a song each time the wind sighs
In the golden rolling hills of California.
In the golden rolling hills of California.



Source: the Kate Wolf Songbook

---

CHORDS
Am G Am Am
The redtail hawk writes songs across the sky
Am G Am
There's music in the water flowing by
Am G Am Am
and you can hear a song each time the wind sighs
G G Am Am
In the golden rolling hills of California
G G Am
In the golden rolling hills of California
Am G Am Am
It's been so long, love, since you said Good-Bye
Am G Am
My cabin's been as lonesome as a cry
Am G Am Am
But there's comfort in the clouds drifting by
G G Am Am
In the golden rolling hills of California
G G Am
In the golden rolling hills of California
Am G Am Am

A neighbour came today to lend a hand
Am G Am
He saw I'd fixed the road as best I can
Am G Am Am
But there's s just some things that need a man's hand
G G Am Am
In the golden rolling hills of California
G G Am
In the golden rolling hills of California

Am G Am Am
The redtail hawk writes songs across the sky
Am G Am
There's music in the water flowing by
Am G Am Am
and you can hear a song each time the wind sighs
G G Am Am
In the golden rolling hills of California
G G Am
In the golden rolling hills of California

source: http://www.hermann-sr.de/89.html (with video)

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 07:20 PM

The grapevines are full of red tails, there are so many rabbits and field mice and squirrel they just have and endless supply to choose from. I have so many squirrel around my house and they are not the least bit afraid of people. When it get tough like this winter I tend to toss out a bunch of peanuts. Probably shouldn't do that but it gets me smiling watching them. I am sure the red tail like it to since it is easy picking for them ...

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: olddude
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 07:23 PM

I remember onetime Al and I were riding our bikes to the story, I hear this CAW CAW, yup, the crow swooped down and landed on his head ... We are peddling down the road and he has this crow on his head ... That thing was amazing. They have to be the smartest bird on the planet ..

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 07:45 PM

They are amazing to watch, Dan.

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: gnu
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 05:58 PM

So, I was pickin blueberries about two hours beyond truck by ATV on the side of a large bog on the Sou end a the Allagash Heath.

I had seen about a half dozen Yotes scatter when I arrived. The was a "Red Deer" (big Virginia Whitetail that lives in the bog country whose hair has a distinct darker shade) down. The Yotes were just inside the tress 100m away and yowling and growling and snapping.

That was what brought the three Bald Eagles to investigate. They circled overhead.

About 300m away, a bog raven began to call from atop a lone pine. It was HUGE, even for a bog raven. Just one caw every five seconds or so. Never heard that before or since. Within five minutes, there were about twenty bog ravens along the edge of the woods.

I make the distinction between ravens and "bog ravens" for a reason. Bog ravens are "alpha" ravens. They have the best territory because they are the largest and the smartest.

I ate my fill of the most delicious blueberries imaginable and took off on the bike. When I got inside the woods, I stopped and walked back to the edge.

The Yotes made a dash for the carcass and the eagles descended. It was fierce. The eagles won out, except that the Yotes managed to get a hind quarter (I think, hard to see) and drag it some distance away. Otherwise, the duel may have continued. That's when the bog ravens came in and challenged the eagles.

It was over in no time. Four or five ravens would light and walk toward an eagle and other ravens would attack from the rear. The eagles beat a hasty retreat.

I didn't stay much longer. It was time to get out. I was a long ways back and it was late in the day.

Ravens are cool.

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: rangeroger
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 02:07 AM

When I was a ranger at Live oak Park in Fallbrook,CA. we had a massive ground squirrel infestation. They undermined everything and were loaded with fleas. We had poison bait boxes in the park,but when my supervisor loaded the boxes at the wrong time and ended up killing 3 barn owlets,I'd had enough.
I took the front end loader and removed all the bait boxes. My supervisor wanted to know what I was going to do now. I bought some sub-sonic .22 ammo and loaded up my target rifle. Quieter than an airgun.
Went out every afternoon after the park closed and nailed those suckers.Pretty soon I had a Red Shoulder Hawk pouncing on the carcasses as soon as they were shot. It got to the point that when I left the house with the rifle,the hawk would land in the oak tree over my head,give a little whistle, then follw me as I drove the truck around, ready to ponce on his next catered meal.
To be fair and to tie in the music,I usually sang Tom Lehrer's"Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" as I went my appointed rounds.
rr

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: open mike
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 04:43 AM

hey--ranger roger...long time no see!

Interesting to see this thread..George Schroder actuallly was live in the studio on my radio show today singing...you guessed it...Red Tailed Hawk!! And i saw 2 hawks sitting on fence posts on the way to the station today.

Subject: RE: BS/ADD: Red Tailed Hawk
From: open mike
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 12:03 AM

are black squirrels rare where you are, Old Dude?
where i grew up (if i ever did) the main color of squirrel was red
but you would see a black one every now and then.
out here in california, the squirrels are grey, but i have seen
albino ones...they never last long as their camoflage is compromised.

http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/meet-the-black-squirrel/