Now I'm not as jealous of you Texans as I was! Two pairs arrived yesterday and Rob and I were so happy to hear their song. However, this morning I looked out and there was a hawk (lighting didn't allow me to tell what kind of hawk) sitting right on top of their houses. Rob made me a clapper (two pieces of wood hinged together that is much louder than clapping my hands) and I clapped him away! Three days ago I did have a tremendous hawk in my maple tree and after looking him up in my bird book, he looked like a Northern Harrier. I clapped him away also and haven't seen him since, so I'm hoping he was just passing through. After I chased the one off the houses this morning, then the Martins came out, along with all the other birds. Those Blue Jays were waiting for him to leave so they could come get their peanuts. Our resident Mockingbird had us fooled this afternoon as he started singing like a Martin. We thought more had arrived. But now that these two pairs are here, I'm sure we'll have more arriving every day.
Happy Martining everyone!
Okay Texans! They're finally here!
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Read your profile too. Sounds like you do everything right.
John Miller
P.S. Maybe better get a patent on that hawk clapper!
John Miller
P.S. Maybe better get a patent on that hawk clapper!
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Glen Webb Jr
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:03 pm
- Location: Illinois/Stewardson
You need not be worried about EVERY hawk that shows up in your yard. Harriers are for the most part harmless to songbirds and the like. Sure they may take recently fledged young, but there's no way a harrier could capture a martin. THey just dont' have it built in them. Ditto for red-tailed hawks. Neither of these species are fast birds. They're too bulky for flying like an accipiter hawk.
I have a friend who paniced the other day when she looked out the window and saw a hawk sitting on top of her martin house. Quickly she scared it away even though she has no martins. It was a red-tailed hawk and was likley using the sturdy aluminum house as a handy perch for hunting rabbits, voles, and chipmunks.
I have a friend who paniced the other day when she looked out the window and saw a hawk sitting on top of her martin house. Quickly she scared it away even though she has no martins. It was a red-tailed hawk and was likley using the sturdy aluminum house as a handy perch for hunting rabbits, voles, and chipmunks.