Was out on the front lawn watching the roost yesterday at sunset. Interesting how there seems to be separate roost for the lone rack that is a ways away from the two right in front of my house. So as I was watching the stragglers decide where they would go (are these newly arrived birds who are not yet "in" with the crowd?), with one perched on the tee rack close to the rod I support the decoy on, the birds all of a sudden get real noisy and start moving. Then out of nowhere a red tail hawk is there. I am not sure if it was going for the bird on the rack or the decoy but I believe the decoy or the rod it is mounted to helped thwart the attack. As best as I could tell he came away empty handed.
A possee of about 8-10 males went after the attacker and returned a while later to re-roost.
Those decoys are a good idea. Mine is 18" above the rack so it is the easiest target. Had another decoy get knocked over, so they are doing their job.
Hawk attack!! (unsuccessful though)
2014 8 gourds, 3 pairs nested. Ended w/ 24 total
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
Do you use martin decoys or dove decoys? I have some martin decoys but when I put them up my male martins fight with them so much I'm afraid they will hurt themselves. The males just won't leave the decoys alone until they knock them over or off. I have never tried putting them up before the martins arrive as I don't want to attract the hawks and owls to my site even before the martins arrive. My martins should arrive in the next few days so I may try some dove decoys see if they will leave them alone.
My birds do not seem to care about the decoys. I had a female fly past them one day and kinda hiss as it passed the decoy, but have not seen that since. Maybe that is because they are perched about 18" above the tee rack and there is only room there for the decoy on the 90* bend. I had to re-adjust a decoy yesterday - something hit it. I believe these are doing their job!
2014 8 gourds, 3 pairs nested. Ended w/ 24 total
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
Yesterday morning the guy who got me into PMs and I were sitting on my front porch enjoying the music and antics. He spotted a Redtail hawk way way up in the sky. I trained my binocs on him and saw it tuck in it's wings and dive - ATTACK!! I was hollering and the PMs alerted. The hawk came in, put on his brakes and grabbed - the decoy!
Those things work folks. This is the second witnessed attack and I believe from how the decoys had been moved that maybe 2 other attacks were thwarted.
And Oh BTW, this AM after a big round of storms last night I was surveying the gourds and there was a yellow beak trying to get into a SREH equipped gourd. Unsuccessful entry. It did pull out some of the pine straw but in the end the PMs keep the lodging.
Those things work folks. This is the second witnessed attack and I believe from how the decoys had been moved that maybe 2 other attacks were thwarted.
And Oh BTW, this AM after a big round of storms last night I was surveying the gourds and there was a yellow beak trying to get into a SREH equipped gourd. Unsuccessful entry. It did pull out some of the pine straw but in the end the PMs keep the lodging.
2014 8 gourds, 3 pairs nested. Ended w/ 24 total
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
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Cheryl S
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:26 pm
- Location: OK/Sperry/Skiatook area
- Martin Colony History: 2013 - 1 ASY pair
2014 - 18 pair
2015 - 45 pair
2016 - 82 pair
Chris, I posted a similar attack 2 or 3 days ago. My attack was from a Cooper's hawk. I have my decoys on metal straps that are about 8 inches long. They are attached to the top arms of my gourd racks. The straps sway in the wind so I think they look like the decoys are moving. Anyway, the hawk grabbed the decoy. When he flew away, the decoy was facing upwards. Yesterday, the decoy was bent over again, so I think there was a second attack. So far no feathers on the ground, so I don't think he has had any success so far. I do think decoys save lives. Maybe not every time, but enough to be worth having them.
PMCA member
98 cavities offered for 2016 -- 70 are gourds and 28 are in houses.
98 cavities offered for 2016 -- 70 are gourds and 28 are in houses.