Hawks are Winning

[Eddie McKnight]

I have posted several times, but here goes again. The hawks, some large and some small, are absolutely relentless this year. Last year my colony was basically cut by 1/3 of normal and this year I don't know if any will survive. This is mid March, where in SC, I usually have 2/3 of my birds here (which would be about 40 pairs) and the most I can count at once now is about 7 or 8.

Hawks are attacking all hours of the day, but especially vicious and brazen about 15 minutes before black dark. They have learned that the birds put off going in at night until the very last minute, and that's when they appear out of nowhere.

For the last 2 nights, I have been walking around, clapping my hands, etc. and they will fly away temporarily. Last night a hawk came within 6 feet of me to attempt a grab while the last martin was jumping through the wire cages into the gourd rack. The martin bolted and was able to escape barely. Of course if he gad gone on through the wire he would have been fine, but by nature they bolt.

Don't know what the end result will be, but after 40 years of succesfully providing the best housing for raising martins, I guess I have created a smorgasbord for predators. It's the most discouraging thing I have ever experienced with nature.

[DornCounty]

wish there was something I could say to help. But in Kansas Hawks and even eagles are at levels I have never seen before.

I am just trying to start a colony but I fear I may not even be able to attract martins due to the number of hawks flying around.

I would say at my place if I sat outside all day I would probably have at least half a dozen or more "fly overs" from hawks or eagles.

I try to appreciate them for the beauty they have, which is quite abit.

[KathyF]

Eddie, sorry to hear this. I know how you feel - I had really determined sharp-shinned hawk last year that I had to deal with. I put up 8 martin decoys and 4 dove decoys.

I also set up some perimeter bird-feeding stations and mounted the decoys on them too. It worked....
Read this...don't know if it will help you or not, but anything would be worth a shot at this point.

http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... c&&start=0

[martinteach]

Kathy,

Your decoys are going to be a great strategy to remember! I haven't had to worry at Smith Elementary because we have custodians with brooms! But if it ever gets to be a problem, I will reread your post.

We have lots of hawks that circle our school garden and last year an owl landed on top of one of our bird houses.

Daryle

[Dave Duit]

I hope someone can find the pics on here that showed a last resort effort to deter hawks. It looked like hundreds of swimming pool noodles used by the kids in which they hang all around the martin houses; almost like a jungle gym.

[Guest]

Very sad. I can't imagine how angry you must be. I you are not in town I would shot at them or at least discharge loud firearms when they are around. I saw this device online. I have no idea if it works.
Set of 4 - Nite Gaurd Protectors
Includes a Complete Set of 4 Nite Guard Proctectors. To Provide the maximum protection

Nite Guard provides protection at two critical times of the day--dusk and dawn. This is important because, hawks in particular, are active during these times and are repelled by the dusk/dawn flash. This results in them often times leaving that area permanently even though they do much of their kills during the daylight hours when Nite Guard is not activated.

[Scott D.- La]

The Hawk's at dark are probably Sharpies if they are small and the worst kind to have, as they are sooo fast. They will hit at anytime from daylight to dark. The bigger ones are probably Cooper's Hawk's. There is no simple solution to the problem. You will have to come up with a solution and protect them or they will destroy your colony. It's fairly straightforward and hope you figure out what the solution is. It is not here on the forum or I have never read a single thing that will stop them and I have tried many a method listed. Just being honest! All we can do is offer condolences and that does not help with anything. Hawk's can destroy all your enjoyment of Purple Martin's, if you allow them.

There are a couple, small thing's that might help save a few. If you can figure their favorite launch site, you can try to deny them the use of that tree. This will require you being out there before daylight to keep them out of a particular tree. If there are several tree's they launch from, then that is hard to do. Firework's, like large Rocket's, can help a little especially, when you can't spot them. All this really does is to keep them back a greater distance.

In your situation, you can't have too many decoy's, the more the better even if that mean's having more decoy's than live bird's. The more decoy's between them and the real bird's, the better the chance they have of working.

Go on the Internet and look for other solution's that may work for you. There are some strange thing's listed out there on the net however, I have not tried them. I hate to paint such a bleak picture however, have dealt with this long enough to know the hard Truth!