Was watching my Martins come in tonight...

[Whippy]

So I was happy to see 6 martins making their way into their gourds tonight doing the usual approach and flare stuff. One Martin came in and hit the porch and took off with a hawk on his tail. The Hawk caught him about 45 feet away from the gourd rack. Two Martins bugged out and only 3 ended up coming in to roost.

I was 6 feet from the rack. The Hawk had no care I was there. I chased it off only 30 minutes before that and the crows got after him/her as well but he knew if he waited long enough and endured the harassment, he would have a chance to eat tonight.

He flew right past the decoys. Flew right past me. So now I gotta put into practice all the methods discussed here to deter him/her. If this keeps up I can see where he/she might wipe me out this season.

Coolwhips

[T-Bird]

Nice to hear your birds came back. Good luck with your hawk situation. I’m just wondering if my birds made it through the weather we just had? Being that this is my second year, I’m really anxious about my birds returning home.

[brent]

Oh man. I know it's a fight. My day is now centered around hawk intervention. I wake up before the sun rises. Go out to greet the dawn. Make sure my scarecrow and props are in place. Have my air horn in my hand. Walk around the houses. Greet the martins. Pray...Hang in there. I'm with you.
Brent

[Whippy]

Nice to hear your birds came back. Good luck with your hawk situation. I’m just wondering if my birds made it through the weather we just had? Being that this is my second year, I’m really anxious about my birds returning home.

T-,

Be patient. My first ever pair returned late March. I worried like hell over it. Then one day, there they were. Soon after another pair joined them. What really made me nervous was that the pair across the Alley had been there about two weeks or so prior to my pair getting back.

This hawk I have I saw three times today. No telling how many times he comes through that I don't know about. Maybe it's a pair of them working the area. But I can now see how they could decimate a colony in no time flat.

Coolwhips.

[brent]

Read my previous reply.

[Whippy]

Read my previous reply.

It came in while I was writing the other one.

I feel ya though. I get the feeling these hawks are like sparrows. They know when you're outside and will hang back until you go in for just a short moment.

Some say they have problems with crows but I don't see that. I like to have crows around because they alert me to the hawks. I had a pair of crows chase this hawk off this evening but he returned not long after. The crows come by frequently to eat left over dog food my border collie doesn't eat. They are bold for sure. They walk right up under the porch past the dogs and into the food bowl. Kind of cool to watch really. I've never seen a crow harass the Martins here.

The thought of losing my colony before it gets started this season is wearing on me.

Coolwhips

[brent]

Hey, I've been encouraged by you in the past. I can only hope to encourage you. It's not easy. Keep the faith. Do what you can. The rest is not in our control. Our martins will survive.
Brent

[G Saner]

Whippy,

I am sorry you experienced this. Hawk attacks are the hardest predator to deter.

I do have one small suggestion. I had a colony in Carrollton for over 25 years and experienced hawk attacks as the trees in the area grew. It took me over a year to uncover the hawk's method. This hawk was hiding in my neighbors 40 foot high Live Oak tree. Since the tree still had it's leaves, it was the prefect place to spring an attack. You didn't mention if you saw where the hawk came from.

Once I found his hiding place, I would flush the hawk from the tree especially at dusk. Blue Jays were also a good guard bird. They would warn you the hawk was back. Of course, you can't be there all the time.

Mine was a Sharp-shinned hawk (I could see the tail). He left sometime in April but returned several springs.

[SMJohnson]

Is there much space between the gourds and cover where the hawk can conceal its self?
I'm a bit surprised that the Martin would try to get into the gourd knowing that the
hawk was in pursuit.

[Whippy]

Whippy,

I am sorry you experienced this. Hawk attacks are the hardest predator to deter.

I do have one small suggestion. I had a colony in Carrollton for over 25 years and experienced hawk attacks as the trees in the area grew. It took me over a year to uncover the hawk's method. This hawk was hiding in my neighbors 40 foot high Live Oak tree. Since the tree still had it's leaves, it was the prefect place to spring an attack. You didn't mention if you saw where the hawk came from.

Once I found his hiding place, I would flush the hawk from the tree especially at dusk. Blue Jays were also a good guard bird. They would warn you the hawk was back. Of course, you can't be there all the time.

Mine was a Sharp-shinned hawk (I could see the tail). He left sometime in April but returned several springs.

G-

This hawk was in he area last year and I believe they stay throughout the Martins season. They move on at some point. Neighbors on both sides of me have trimmed their trees such that the lower branches have all been cleared of twigs, leaves and such while the upper canopy is still full. It provides an umbrella of cover for which to sit under and set up an ambush. I am constantly watching the these trees for him. The crows will get crazy as well as the blue jays when he's around if they see him. His main tactic is to use the houses as cover when he is approaching. Last night he busted in from between two houses and was on us in a split second. He seemed to have timed his attack just perfectly. He arrived just at the time the martin was about to hit the gourd. The martin saw him in time to retreat but he was caught 45 feet or so away from the rack. I'll have to watch the rack today to see which martins are left but I'm afraid he got my colony starter from 6 years ago.

I'm usually pretty optimistic but with the recent freeze and this hawk attack my colony isn't looking so good. I saw only 3 martins come into roost last night after the attack and saw two make a hasty retreat out of the area at altitude. My two Trio pairs have not returned yet. They are two or three weeks late. I have no idea how many martins the hawk has acquired.

Thanks for the advice.

Coolwhips

[Whippy]

Is there much space between the gourds and cover where the hawk can conceal its self?
I'm a bit surprised that the Martin would try to get into the gourd knowing that the
hawk was in pursuit.

Hello, SM.

There's plenty of space. The hawk just timed it right and came out of nowhere. Almost like he was cruising the area. The martins usually stay pretty high when they spot the danger so that tells me the hawk was not sitting and waiting in a close proximity. I've heard the martins make a specific call or sound when approaching the gourds so maybe the hawk has learned this call and is using it to plan his attack. I just don't know. I do know he is smarter than last year. Last night he flew right past a decoy to get to this martin. Last year the decoy got his attention. I did change locations of the decoys from last year to this year.

One thing I do remember about last year is the martins would come into roost very quietly hardly making a sound.

Thank you.

Coolwhips

[SMJohnson]

I see. Sounds like a difficult situation with perhaps no simple solution.

[deancamp]

Sorry to hear of your new dellima. Keep battling with different tactics and survive the situation. Keep the faith, there will be more birds coming.

[Whippy]

I had 8 Martins working the skies above the gourds and several of them came in and landed. During all of this commotion I saw the hawk fly into a neighbors tree and take up position for an ambush. The martins saw him fly in as well so they all hung out high in the sky.

I got my pellet gun and fired a shot into the tree to hit the branch on which he was sitting. It was close enough to get his attention and he made a hasty retreat. The martins gave chase.

So the hawk has learned to hear the martins as they congregate above the gourds and take up position. This makes sense as when I first started attracting martins I noticed, when I played the dawn song, the hawk would always make an appearance. So it's obvious the commotion and noise alerts him to the opportunity for a meal.

It looks like I'll be involved in a lengthy hawk deterrent program for a while. At some point he'll have to get tired of being chased off and just stay away.

Coolwhips

[rrgregory]

We used to live in Plano, TX (we've relocated to Wrightsville Beach, NC, and have martins here ) -- in TX, we had two martin houses in our yard, very active returning pairs. One day I noticed what I thought was a small hawk; turns out it was a merlin falcon (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/merlin/id). I noticed it right at dusk - it flew in and sat on the porch of the one of the houses, then flew off. A couple of days later I noticed it perched on our roof, close to dusk. Then one late afternoon -- whoosh -- quick as a flash, he flew in with perfect timing, right at dusk, like a bullet, and I witnessed exactly what you described. That merlin had been watching and possibly had tried a few times before being successful. After that attack, he seemed to disappear, so he was clearly migrating. I mention all of this in the hopes that "your" hawk is migrating, also. Hoping that is the case for you and your martins. I have no idea how to deter a hawk or falcon from doing what is natural for them to do. I haven't read all the replies, so there may be someone with sage advice on the subject.

[brent]

Well some of you might have seen my earlier posts on this and my hawk dilemma. I get up before sunrise so I can be out watching. I have a scarecrow that I move around. I have dove and martin decoys out. I have an air horn. Today 3 attacks. 1st one at about 6:30. He came from a tree located about 200 feet from the houses. He took one. I blew the air horn but too late. Off he went with a martin in his talons. Then another at 9 am while I was out under the houses in the garden planting tomatoes. I chased after him while sounding the air horn. He did not get any. Then another at about 11 am while still in the garden. Sounded the air horn. This one hit a martin decoy. I just don't know what else to do. So far I lost 4 martins to hawks. Not knowing how many I didn't see them take. I just shake my head, take a deep breath, move my scarecrow, move decoys around and sound the horn when needed. And pray.
Brent

[Whippy]

Hawk is taking his toll.

I have only 4 ASY males roosting. I was expecting way more than this by now having had 15 pairs last year.

He's either catching them when I'm not around or he's just got them scared off.

Keepin at it.

Coolwhips

[brent]

Whippy, I've noticed that the martins now stay inside in the morning and fly out quickly, individually, at different times when it's safe. Most are males. The females stay in longer. Once I'm under them they start to come out and socialize and chat. Then late morning they are gone. They come back in late evening and go right in. We have way too many hawks. What will happen during nest building?
Brent

[Whippy]

Brent,

I've noticed very much different behavior. No more hanging out on gourd porches, no landing and taking off again and so on. I was out of town all day today and got back in time to watch them come to roost. I don't know what they did today as far as socializing on the rack or if they did it all. Last year it was off the hook. Party, party, party.

Tonight the four did their usual circling and light chatting. They made only one or two close passes of the rack where they usually take many. Then, all at once, they each came in from altitude and hit their own gourd and went in and that was it.

Absolutely no activity on the Trio or the T-14.

Coolwhips

[Unk Bond]

Hello All
I have no hawk problems now days
There for a while I did are young squirrel and those little birds that eat up side down.
He drove them away.

A few blocks away a guy had problem with his baby chickens.
Haven't send a Hawk for about 2 years now. Guess they were eliminated around here by some one. [ Later