Hawk chatches a scout

graue · Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:20 am

Night before last first two scouts arrived. Last night on their return just after sunset the first one arrived and went into the house. The second one arrived and on landing to go into the house a hawk came out of nowhere and caught the scout just before it got into the house. Broke my heart.

Anthony Neira · Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:59 am

I so sorry for your lost. Things like this happen beyond our control. Hope you have a great rest of the season & Thank You for providing them homes!

Chuck4 · Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:05 am

Sorry to hear that happened. I have several species of hawk that would love to get a martin or two around my colony. I noticed a new Sharp-shinned hawk this year too. They make me nervous. Some things are just out of our control as landlords though. A decoy may help distract the hawks.

krushing · Thu Jan 22, 2015 12:00 pm

Maybe time to put up a decoy . They aren't just for attracting martins. Since they are a little " slower" lol than a live Martin, the hawk will often focus on getting the decoy and it gives everyone else a split second lead time that might mean the difference in living or becoming a meal.

Dick Sherry · Thu Jan 22, 2015 12:18 pm

You may want to consider putting wire cages around your housing. We lost several martins to hawks grabbing them off the houses, and I have been very glad I went ahead and put cages in place. The hawks learn quickly that martin housing is an easy place to grab a meal. Hope you have a good nesting season with minimal predator problems.

D Little · Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:57 am

Very sorry to hear, I had several incidents of this last season and can relate to your sorrow very well. You really feel helpless against the hawk predation.

dsonyay · Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:45 pm

Last year my wife and I witnessed a very large hawk drop out of the sky, and latch onto a decoy. That hawk ended upside down grasping onto the decoy trying to rip it off the rod I had screwed it I to. Amazing thing to watch. He gave up and flew to the other decoy, latched onto it, flapped his wings furiously ttrying to pull it off the perch. Incredible. He gave up and flew off. This happened before my arrivals.

Later on that year, one morning, I noticed the decoys were gone. One was on the ground and the other was on the side of my house.. Still attached to the perch. The hawk (or owl) pulled the martin and perch clean off, flew off with it, and dropped it.

I'd have given anything to see that.

tim414 · Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:52 pm

EXCELLENT. My new rack arrived today and just as soon as I get it up, I puttin on the decoys I just bought.

Think five decoys are enough? Or should I get more. I initially bought five.

Tim

Matt F. · Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Very sorry that happened Louis.
My heart goes out to you.
What's doubly troubling, is that not only have the Sharp-Shinned and Cooper's Hawks been increasing in numbers, and seemingly expanding their range, but they have increasingly adapted their hunting techniques (more like guerrilla tactics) to target Martin housing, when they know the Martins are going to be there - in the mornings, and especially at dusk, when they're coming in to roost.
Again, sorry about the loss of one of your scouts.

dsonyay · Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:19 am

Well, I have two.. Five sounds fine. Hey, at the least you'll loom lime you have an active colony. Cue up some daytime chatter music and you'll have an awesome artificial colony.

James Rieman · Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:58 pm

Tim, when you do establish a colony, brace yourself to the idea that more than likely you will lose martins to avian predators such as Accipters, falcons and owls. This is the reality of life all Purple Martins and Martin landlords deal with. My neighbors have a pine tree that has a Cooper's hawk nest in it and each year a pair of Cooper's hawk fledge several of their young from it. Each year I lose a couple of Martins to Cooper's Hawks. Yet my colony still grows and thrives and fledges many young each season. I consider the few Martins I lose to these hawks as payment for the fantastic views I get of these magnificent predators once their young have fledged. The fledglings are curious and tame and perch low on fences. I also get to watch their antics as they learn to hunt. As landlords we do what we can by placing decoys to distract the hawks and perhaps protective cages to repel them (which might also slow down Martins), and most importantly keeping the flyways around the house clear, but more than likely you will lose some martins. This goes with the territory and is part of being a Martin landlord. We must always remember that Martins are still wild birds, and they have their place in the ecosystem as both predators and prey. Best of luck this season!

Louise Chambers · Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:38 pm

What a great photo, James! Very fine looking bird.

dhjohnson · Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:19 pm

Louise,
Thanks for the reminder that life comes full circle! No matter what we do, our efforts are still within the bounds of nature. Prey and hunter...as our colonies grow they rise in the easier kill zone. It's tough but something each and every host must face if they grow their colonies! I'm striving to grow smart martins! One's with great sense of self preservation and a will to survive! Also recognizing that all will not survive! A stark life lesson! Something we all need to reflect on!
Great post...while I'm sad the alpha predator won...they took the weakest available hopefully! That doesn't mean that we sit on our laurals...it means we need to think!
Have a great season!
Debbie

tim414 · Sun Jan 25, 2015 1:32 pm

Full circle reality Debbie.....you are right. Maybe it did take out the weakest since he was not aware (he/she-martin) of it's surroundings.

It reminds me of flying, situational awareness is key to being a successful pilot. I suppose it's also key in wildlife...without it, their dinner for their prey.

tim414 · Sun Jan 25, 2015 1:35 pm

James Rieman wrote:Tim, when you do establish a colony, brace yourself to the idea that more than likely you will lose martins to avian predators such as Accipters, falcons and owls. This is the reality of life all Purple Martins and Martin landlords deal with. My neighbors have a pine tree that has a Cooper's hawk nest in it and each year a pair of Cooper's hawk fledge several of their young from it. Each year I lose a couple of Martins to Cooper's Hawks. Yet my colony still grows and thrives and fledges many young each season. I consider the few Martins I lose to these hawks as payment for the fantastic views I get of these magnificent predators once their young have fledged. The fledglings are curious and tame and perch low on fences. I also get to watch their antics as they learn to hunt. As landlords we do what we can by placing decoys to distract the hawks and perhaps protective cages to repel them (which might also slow down Martins), and most importantly keeping the flyways around the house clear, but more than likely you will lose some martins. This goes with the territory and is part of being a Martin landlord. We must always remember that Martins are still wild birds, and they have their place in the ecosystem as both predators and prey. Best of luck this season!

Thanks James.

James Rieman · Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:39 pm

Thank you Louise! Those Cooper's hawks fledglings are easy to photograph and always appear to be very healthy and well fed. By the time they fledge and spend time in my yard the martins are usually finished breeding and have left for premigratory roosts, which does make it a bit easier to appreciate their presence.

JeanS · Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:17 pm

Last year we had a Coopers Hawk that often visited at dusk when the Martins were gathering for the nightly slumber. We started standing guard whenever we could and when we saw a Cooper swooping in for the kill, we threw ice cubes toward it. It was a nightly ritual and we thwarted many attacks. The Cooper stopped visiting at dusk. It probably visited when we were at work though.

Sadly, there was nothing we could do to protect the Martins from Swainsons, which would catch a Martin high in the sky when the entire colony mobbed it. We saw it happen too many times. It was so sad. The bird book we have doesn't mention birds are part of Swansons' diet. I guess that hawk doesn't read bird books and doesn't know it isn't supposed to eat birds.