witnessed a hawk attack my decoys

dsonyay · Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:08 am

Had I not been on the phone I'd have been able to video a hawk of some sort (it had a long tail) attack both of my decoys! The decoys do work. I saw the hawk approach - circle- and then dive and hit the first decoy. He tried to pull with his talons then gave up and went to the other one- grabbed it and ended up upside down with it.

This was amazing to watch. Decoys work. Two real doves were sitting on the fence - lucky to have been passed up I suppose.

I kind of feel blessed to have witnessed this close up (watching from my den about 40 feet away).

JL Murray · Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:10 am

score one for the decoys

Gary W · Mon Feb 18, 2013 1:52 pm

Hi David,

If the hawk had a rather long tail, it is most likely a Cooper's Hawk. Five years ago I lost two ASY males at my colony from one of these predators. The hawk apparently picked the Martins off their porch, when they were not vigilant. The following year, I installed 4 inch fencing around my house, and gourds with about a 10 inch gap before the compartments. I haven't had any losses since then-----Knock On Wood!

Gary

dsonyay · Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:19 pm

It was an awesome sight to see.

dsonyay · Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:24 pm

That hawk hit the decoys two more times today. I was able to see it each time. Incredible. I was not able to get video. Also I've got two PMs flying around the neighborhood... so if he is that attracted to the decoys, I decided to take them down so he'll move to something else

That may allow the martins to come
In and land. The have to know the hawk is around

DebA · Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:58 pm

Hawks are beautiful and have their purpose too but I would just die if I saw one get a martin. 2 years ago I had a decoy that I found on the ground a few feet out from the house. I always wondered if a hawk did that. But I have not seen them right around here (my farm area). But this past few months I have seen more flying near our place and once I heard a shreak and turned to see a red tailed hawk swooping past my feeders area. I assumed it got something. I hope my martins aren't in for an aggressive hawk year. But, yes, I will put up the decoys too.
Deb

Craig Dyer · Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:05 pm

Hi David,

I used decoys when I first started trying to attract martins. I got tired of picking them up off the ground. Something kept hitting them. Either owls at night or hawks during the day. I never witnessed an attack on the decoys, but I saw a coopers or sharp-shinned hawk (unsure which it was) pluck an unlucky purple martin off the martin house once. The hawk flew casually over the house, then suddenly dived and plucked it right off the porch. The hawk didn't skip a beat. It was back in its original flight pattern within a nano-second; with the poor martin as lunch. It all happened unbelievably fast. Accipiters are incredible predators.

klcretired · Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:38 am

David,
I am a firm believer and always have been of Displaying decoys at My Colony and i urge others to do this as well they work as a Dual Purpose , they work very well as an attracting tool to attract martins along with playing the dawnsong , plus they are very helpful in saving martin lives while under a Hawk attack giving the martins a chance to Bolt to freedom thus saving many martin lives. I have been under my Colony when Like a Bullet a hawk came out of nowhere and hit my colony so fast i did not have time to react, this is why it is so important to have several decoys up. Here are some pic's below of one of my Hawk attacks, no Martins were taken under this attack , also i feel like after Mr.Hawk hits Plastic a few times and does not get a soft warm meal that they will move on to an easier food source.

Bob Allnock · Wed Feb 20, 2013 8:55 am

Here is a photo of what appears to be a Coopers trying to take a decoy from the colony at Moraine State Park

barry resvick · Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:50 am

It would be great if there were some way of electrifying the decoys so that the hawks would be scared of being zapped every time they hit one of them.Maybe that would teach them to leave the martins alone

Charles B · Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:26 pm

I'm not sure that would be legal. But even if it were, it would be pretty tricky to do. To get a shock you have to contact both a hot wire and a ground simultaneously such that the current can pass through the body from one contact to the other. Birds can perch on high voltage lines with impunity--so long as they don't touch a hot wire and a ground simultaneously.

barry resvick · Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:25 pm

Could a fencer be used?

M.Stephens · Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:51 pm

Emil had electrified some decoys at one time. I don't know if he still has any of them hooked up or not?

kborder · Sat May 06, 2017 6:54 am

Thanks everyone. My husband is in town right now getting supplies to make guards, and is going to look for the decoys around home we've never put up. Our birds are already stressed right now because of the rain and cold we've been having. 15 degrees below normal right now, wind chill of 41 and only making it to low 50s this weekend, no sunshine. Also worried about our eastern bluebird pair who have a nest and there were five eggs last week. Hoping mama can keep them warm and that the parents can find enough food when if they hatch