Pictures Red-shouldered hawk

[Kassiani]

Gorgeous little Buteo! Very distinctive call.

 

[Shezbug]

Birds of prey are so amazing!

Yesterday, Birdie was chatting up a bird storm and shaking his fancy head about outside the aviary while I was doing some things outside in the yard, he was being watched by a big kite, thankfully Burt alerted me to its close proximity and I went and moved Birdie much to his annoyance. The birds of prey really are magnificent to see but they can be so silent when they want to be.

 

[Kassiani]

There has been a young pair nesting nearby. They are amazing, but they scared the dickens out of Opie earlier this year.

On the window ledge right in front of his cage!

 

[Kassiani]

@Shezbug do your local raptors pay a lot of attention to Birdie?

 

[Shezbug]

@Shezbug do your local raptors pay a lot of attention to Birdie?

Yes they do, they are quite the problem for us- I missed one stalking him not very long ago, it swooped in to get him and literally just missed hitting the both of us- if Birdie had not have thrown himself off the top of the door towards me and the inside of the aviary at the very last second I think it may have been an awful day instead of an exciting day.
They hang out around our house a lot as we have a huge paddock full of rabbits, mice, snakes and lizards behind our back fence.
I usually spend as much time looking at the sky and into the distance where they normally come from as I spend looking at Birdie or whatever else it is that I am doing if he is out of the aviary. I prefer him to use a stand which I can put under the verandah lessening the chances of large kites getting at him but I negotiate and compromise with what he wants to do which is usually hang out on top of the open aviary door or the garden fence with no coverage of any sort.

They actually eye off all my birds but with Birdie being outside and often non reactive or very slow to react to things that a more healthy bird would be reactive to they often come close enough to check out their chances of grabbing him- like they fly close enough that they make my hair move with the breeze from their wings- they have no fear of humans.
Burt really hates it outside here even if he is in carrier, he loved going outdoors on the harness in my last home cos there were hardly ever birds of prey in town there so we would go outside everyday but he stopped wanting to go out after being circled and watched here and has actually flat out refused to allow me to put the harness on , they do circle work around the house and come past the window lots of times trying to work out their best chances of catching my birds. Small and baby animals are not safe in the back yards here and most chicken coops are covered with wire here too.
Squeak has had a goshawk attempting to get him through the window quite a few times since being here, the poor goshawk smashed into the window so bad one day it was dazed for ages and stayed put on the ground when I went to check if he had done any damage to himself past banging his head, I could have picked him up if I wanted to but I stood quietly over him just waiting for him to find his bearings and be ready to fly off so my dog did not try to make a new friend.

 

[Kassiani]

That’s amazing! And challenging….I’m glad Birdie didn’t become dinner!

 

[Shezbug]

@Shezbug do your local raptors pay a lot of attention to Birdie?

Just now a goshawk smashed into the window next to Squeaks cage.
Thankfully both the goshawk and Squeak are ok.

 

[April]

Just now a goshawk smashed into the window next to Squeaks cage.
Thankfully both the goshawk and Squeak are ok.

Oh wow they really are determined to get at your kiddos. Thank goodness both are ok.

 

[Kassiani]

Poor Squeak! I'm glad the goshawk was ok after its encounter with glass. I've never seen a goshawk in my neighborhood, but we do have red shouldered, red tailed, and coopers hawks. The only one brave enough to try the windows has been that young male red shouldered hawk.