All of a sudden we have hawks
I have never seen a hawk in our neighborhood. I looked up yesterday because our birds weren't there. There was three hawks and all the martins were way up above them. I also only had six come in, not sure about the other four.
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dsonyay
- Posts: 1677
- Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:10 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Broussard
- Martin Colony History: 2010-2014 located in Slidell LA. Gourd rack with 16 gourds. Max of 2 pairs during this short period in Slidell. Plenty of fledglings.
2014-present.. moved to Broussard LA. Same Gourd Rack but added a 6 room house (modified from a 12 room)
2020: after a long drought of nothing, 4 pairs and 4 nests, 23 eggs total.
6 fledges.
2021: 9 pair, 47 eggs
36 hatchlings
30 fledged
2022: about 12 pairs.. many eggs, all fledged.. only had one hatchling die.. probably because of our schnauzer. :(
2023: 16 pairs. So far about 60 chicks with about a dozen eggs to go.
2024: 13 pair. About 60 eggs
2025: 14 pairs .. 69 eggs.
I never knew we had hawks in my neighborhood either, until I was interested in raising martins. That's when I saw them a lot. Also we have 2 types of Kites out here, which don't really go after martins but are amazing to watch. Bald Eagles too.
I think we have either Cooper Hawks or maybe Merlins or Sharp Shins. It's hard for me to make them out with certainty.
I'm sure these were out here all along I just never noticed because I didn't have martins to worry about.
They are beautiful birds to watch... any other time in my life and I'd have been pulling for them! But now with martins, I look at them in a whole new way.
I think we have either Cooper Hawks or maybe Merlins or Sharp Shins. It's hard for me to make them out with certainty.
I'm sure these were out here all along I just never noticed because I didn't have martins to worry about.
They are beautiful birds to watch... any other time in my life and I'd have been pulling for them! But now with martins, I look at them in a whole new way.
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Ron Shaffer
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 9:33 am
- Location: Ohio/Beverly
On 4/11 in a drizzling rain about 6 pm, while installing my only upgrade to my colony this year - a triple A gourd rack -....I had a hawk take a stab at my martins, landing some 12-15 yards behind me. Luckily he missed and got dogged by the purple hordes to the county line.
Seeing hawks everywhere in SE ohio this spring.
Seeing hawks everywhere in SE ohio this spring.
SEAL THE BORDERS NOW!!
http://www.numbersusa.com
'04 - 1 pair
'05 - 2 pair
'06 - 7 pair
'07 - 10 pair
'08 - 23 pair
'09 - 43 pair
'10 - 45 pair
'11 - 39 pair
'12 - 61 pair
'13 - 81 pair
'14 - 62 pair
'15 - 59 pair
http://www.numbersusa.com
'04 - 1 pair
'05 - 2 pair
'06 - 7 pair
'07 - 10 pair
'08 - 23 pair
'09 - 43 pair
'10 - 45 pair
'11 - 39 pair
'12 - 61 pair
'13 - 81 pair
'14 - 62 pair
'15 - 59 pair
Yes one thing I have noticed around my parts, is that hawks are not scared of me. I have had a juvenile hawk eating a starling 10 ft on the ground from me. I wondered if it was sick. It would fly over a little away from me when I walked up to it. But did not leave. Just did not mind me being their.
We definitely have hawks in Round Rock. I see them around the golf course all the time. Sometime you will hear them calling to each other as they fly. So you know, we also have an abundance of Great Horn Owls and other types too.
Several times I have caught them (hawks and owls) sitting on top of the PM house. Fortunately there were no fledglings in the house at the time.
I seem to lose 1 or 2 PM's every couple of years to the predator birds. There is not much you can do about it other than decoys and cages.
Dave Round Rock (Forest Creek)
Several times I have caught them (hawks and owls) sitting on top of the PM house. Fortunately there were no fledglings in the house at the time.
I seem to lose 1 or 2 PM's every couple of years to the predator birds. There is not much you can do about it other than decoys and cages.
Dave Round Rock (Forest Creek)