Morning Visitor

[newhunterette]

This morning we heard the crows cawing very loudly and we looked out our french door windows and saw about 150 crows circling over the houses and making such a racket, then all of a sudden it stopped and the crows were gone, we looked out the window into our backyard and there we saw a visitor chowing down on a crow, so we quickly grabbed the camera

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC_0003.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC_0009.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC_0012.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC_0015.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC_0021.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC_0023.jpg

[Dirty]

Is that a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-Shinned? You can tell them apart by the shape of the tail, rounded vs flat or squared, but I can't remember which is for each.

[NaStY]

Awesome pics. Thats one way of doing crow control......

[Chuck]

Good shots! Blow up the one you like and frame it up for the wall.

[bsa30-06]

Doesnt look like he's about to give up his meal.....good pictures

[Shed Hunter]

nice pics nice nice

[todbartell]

You can tell them apart by the shape of the tail, rounded vs flat or squared, but I can't remember which is for each.

you don't know your bird ID very well, do ya :mrgreen: ironic

[BearSniper]

Great Pics. Good to have the camera close by.

The wife was just commenting this monring how the crows are always harrassing the hawks in the back cow field. The hawks of course are just out looking for mice.

Looks like the hawks can manage just fine.

Again, great photos.:razz:

[Chuck]

Gee that sure looks like a female Goshawk to me. There just aren't many falcons that come close to that except maybe Merlin. But Merlin aren't much bigger than a Stellars jay and I don't think a Merlin can tackle a crow, so I'll stick to female goshawk, which isn't a falcon, but an Accipiter. Am I close , or no cigar?

[Mtnhunter]

Looks like an immature Coopers Hawk!

[Blainer]

A few years back,my partner and I happened upon an injured Great Horned Owl while out hunting.We built a cage and delivered the owl to OWL rehab.,who in turn nursed it back to health.They eventually let my partners young sons release the owl in the wild,upon releasing, the crows came from everywhere to harrass the owl,we were devistated,but the biologist said that the owl will shortly kill a crow and display him to the others and they will leave quickly.
Hence,Ally's backyard.The same applies with all raptors.

[Bow Walker]

Great pics Ali. That's sure a lot of 'mess' just for one crow. Hopefully it's more than one.

[Johnny G1]

Ali is so lucky to have a trained hawk around to get her New Years bird, plucked and ready to put in the oven. Have a good one Ali.

[Dirty]

A few years back,my partner and I happened upon an injured Great Horned Owl while out hunting.We built a cage and delivered the owl to OWL rehab.,who in turn nursed it back to health.They eventually let my partners young sons release the owl in the wild,upon releasing, the crows came from everywhere to harrass the owl,we were devistated,but the biologist said that the owl will shotly kill a crow and display him to the others and they will leave quickly.
Hence,Ally's backyard.The same applies with all raptors.

This is not a case of attacking a crow to display to the others. Cooper's Hawks are Accipters and actively feed on other birds. You will usually see them keying in on small songbirds, pigeons, etc. They will usually perch, wait, and then ambush.


you don't know your bird ID very well, do ya :mrgreen: ironic
Very ironic, however, the key difference is that there is not open season on Hawks, so there is no precedent to be able to identify the different species. Just thought I would let you know that there isn't a season on them, in case you are ignorant to the BC Hunting Regulations.

[Monashee]

I agree that it looks like an immature Goshawk. They are one of most aggressive raptors and death on crows.

[newhunterette]

believe me I am very thankful we made a special shelter for Squeeker because I think if that hawk saw him he would have given up the crow in a heart beat to eat my plumpy duck

[Pete]

That is why a flock of crows is called a mob and that is exactly what the do is basically mob a hawk especially on a kill. Crows and Owls are mortal enemies. An owl caught out in the open by a mob of crows is in serious trouble. That is why when we do our owl releases we always let them go in the dark.

[mistx]

http://www.coffeecreekwc.org/.../general_birds.htm a Sharp Shinned hawk seems to be the wrong colours.
http://savesouthwoods.org/kathy_munro.htm a Coopers Hawk seems to be more solidly dark on the back.
http://www.pbase.com/helmutnc/image/38890833 a juvenille, female Goshawk seems to be the most likely match.
I just Googled the names and compared them to NewHunterettes photos.

[newhunterette]

we bought Breanne a camera for Christmas as she has such a great eye for art and wanted a camera to take pics for her to reproduce on canvas, so she took some pics as well of the hawk that visited us

so here are some of her pics

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00267.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00269.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00270.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00274.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00276.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00278.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00282.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00284.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Hawk/DSC00285.jpg

[The 'Hummer']

Awesome pics. Thats one way of doing crow control......
X2 Ali. Not a 'shot' you get to see every day.

[TIKA 300]

You guys are very fortunate to see that,good for you.

Thanks for the thread and pics ALI.

TK

[Ehv]

Not a mob of crows, a 'flock of crows' is actually called a murder of crows, I believe.

[Chuck]

That little owl is darn cute too! Have you noticed that they never ever smile for the camera, but somehow seem to stare blank faced. I wonder what goes on in their little pea brains.

[eastkoot]

Had this Pigmy owl in yard today after a dead grosbeak I threw into the caragana bush,,
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/duramaxx/P1020910.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/duramaxx/P1020912.jpg

[Dirty]

Wow! EastKoots those Owl pictures are awesome!

[Leaseman]

Definately enjoed the pics!!!

I thought Pete would be looking after the crow control......:smile:

[Reeves]

newhunterette and eastkoot

New member here and looking around...

I looked for a PM button and didn't see one ? Maybe due to being a new member ?

May I have permission to save the pictures & post them at another site ?
If you want to see the site, let me know and I'll send it to you in some way ? Photo credits (and stories) will not be taken by me !

[eastkoot]

PM sent ................

[newhunterette]

pm also sent and welcome to HBC

[Reeves]

eastkoot....got your PM but I'm not able to reply.
Very good pictures though !
I'll PM newhunterette the site I had wanted to post the pictures. As soon as it will come up for me. Owner has had some trouble with the site working poorly and is setting up a new one. (bird site)

Thanks to both for replying so fast !

[Mr. Dean]

He musta been hungry..... I have NEVER seen another animal feast on a crow. Not even another crow or a rat for that matter.