The perils of befriending wildlife

[melissasparrots]

Our Coopers are as brazen as they are smart. They'll hide in the big trees around the house with the sun behind them so they're practically invisible (unless the jays "out" them). But they'll land on the deck railing and watch and listen to the lilac bushes and have jumped down to the ground to investigate. Ours are out hunting during the day, maybe it's because the area is fairly quiet and we have the high power tension corridor across the street behind the houses? I know the red tails will sit at the very top of the towers and get a bird's eye view of the whole area.

You are more likely to find red tails using the power lines. Cooper's hawks like to fly along a treeline incognito and then flip over into someone's yard at the last second and nail a little bird on a feeder. They will also jump out of trees too. I had one come down and try to grab my kestrel in my yard when I was 6 feet or less away from him. Lightening fast and brazen describes the cooper's hawk. I love them, even though their high population in my area means I won't fly another kestrel here again. Its called intraguild predation and unfortunately, kestrels are on the menu right along with sparrows.

 

[SandraK]

This is the satellite view of the street I live on -https://Google Maps

If you zoom in you'll see the trees and the huge high tension corridor.
Um, and no that isn't my address ... but we don't live in what I call a McMansion.

 

[LaSelva]

I'm fairly new to Florida and one thing I've been working on is learning to distinguish between Southern Water Snakes and Water Moccasins (Cottonmouths) although I rarely see either one. The latter is venomous while the former is not. I wouldn't kill either one if I saw it outdoors because I know enough to know that I am not on the menu of any venomous snakes, and that such an apex predator, when allowed, will simply flee from a human.

The other day I was driving in a residential area and stopped after seeing a golf cart with two boys in it pulled over and the man who was driving (their father) picking up a snake with a shovel. I asked if I could see it and what kind it was. He said it was dead and that it was a cottonmouth. I said "wow" I proceed to comment on how they look so similar to Southern water snakes..... he had never heard of a southern water snake, told me that he lives down the road and last night he saw this snake crossing the road and decided to run it over. He was coming back to scoop it up and throw it down the sewer.

Now I'm thinking "what a ----." He assumed the worst and I'm actually angry at myself for not telling him that it is not necessary to kill a living thing just because it's there! Or, that even if he thought it was poisonous it was nowhere near his home and not a threat but simply going about its business.

There are so many people in the world with this attitude that educating everyone is almost insurmountable. And then when I think about it, why should I have to? People have access to resources but they choose ignorance over education.

 

[LaSelva]

Not to mention this is what that man is perpetuating in his sons. My daughter is 6 and I make it a point to take her to events at our local Environmental Center. One in particular was about snakes and she got to learn the different species as well as handle some of them... it's a start, and of course I teach her to have a healthy fear, but ultimately it's about education and not acting on ignorance.

 

[SandraK]

I'd like to say that I have a healthy approach to snakes - as long as it isn't heading towards me - I'm equally happy to head in the opposite direction. Everything has a purpose even if we don't like it.

Mary Hopkin – Turn Turn Turn Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Does it disturb you to see a sparrow eat a moth? House sparrows come down in droves and compete with robins and blackbirds to catch the moths and insects I disturb when I mow the lawn. Nature does not distinguish between moth or sparrow as a food source to something higher on the food chain. There was a niche available and a predator filled it. To support the sparrow but not the hawk is to deny that all depend on the death of something for food to one extent or another.

Haha, good question! I think seeing a house moth get eaten doesn't disturb me because I can't see emotions or blood (even though I'm sure they have both) And I can't hear it screaming as it's being ripped from it's family (even though it might be)

I guess I do have preference over certain critters.

But.. I love birds of prey too! I love all birds. I just can't not be disturbed seeing that cycle of life in front of my eyes. I just hope that the Raptors will eat somewhere else and while I'm not looking, is all I'm saying.

 

[melissasparrots]

Not to mention this is what that man is perpetuating in his sons. My daughter is 6 and I make it a point to take her to events at our local Environmental Center. One in particular was about snakes and she got to learn the different species as well as handle some of them... it's a start, and of course I teach her to have a healthy fear, but ultimately it's about education and not acting on ignorance.

I've come to the conclusion that a lot of people don't actually think about their actions very much. They pretty much model what someone else modeled for them. I've seen it a lot in my students where someone spots a mouse or a spider and some kid jumps up to "take care of it." Its just what is done with those creatures in their home life. Since that is what is done, that is what will always be done. That is the end of their thinking. I see it sometimes with boys that in their world, men take care of vermin for the women. That is the manly thing to do. That their might be an alternative to death isn't even considered. Sad but I think true in many cases. There are a lot of open minded people out there as well. I think regarding snakes there might even be a majority of people with good intentions. At least in my area since we don't have much to worry about regarding venomous species.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

I saw a very sad thing today. Right across the alley from me a coopers hawk perched on a fence and dove into a small Bush. I saw my sparrow friends scattering about and then the hawk emerged with one of my babies. It got eaten on the roof

 

[SandraK]

I saw a very sad thing today. Right across the alley from me a coopers hawk perched on a fence and dove into a small Bush. I saw my sparrow friends scattering about and then the hawk emerged with one of my babies. It got eaten on the roof

The hawks will also dive into the larger Xmas trees to catch their meal. I got home from work one afternoon, got out of the car and watched a (large) Xmas tree across the street just shaking and waving about with alot of bird noises. Not knowing what was going on, I walked over to the neighbour's front garden to take a closer look which spooked the hawk and it took off out of the middle of the tree. The sparrows (and other birds) have improved odds if they can hide in thick underbrush but it is the weaker ones who are taken first. It's survival of the fittest whether we like it or not.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

The hawks will also dive into the larger Xmas trees to catch their meal. I got home from work one afternoon, got out of the car and watched a (large) Xmas tree across the street just shaking and waving about with alot of bird noises. Not knowing what was going on, I walked over to the neighbour's front garden to take a closer look which spooked the hawk and it took off out of the middle of the tree. The sparrows (and other birds) have improved odds if they can hide in thick underbrush but it is the weaker ones who are taken first. It's survival of the fittest whether we like it or not.

I know it's survival of the fittest but I think I'm just too much of an empath sometimes.

I can't help but think about when that hawk was in the bush it might've tried to grab a few before finally catching the prize (there was alot of rustling going on) and wondering if there are some wounded ones still with us now.

Then when I saw my little friends hanging out on my trumpet plant I thought about how they must be pretty traumatized seeing part of their flock be swept away like that.

I just wish the birds of prey would primarily focus on eating rodents, lol.