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MOWGLI
12-25-2007, 13:37
So I'm sitting in my Mother's sun room here in North Myrtle Beach, SC. We're opening presents and admiring the birds eating at the half dozen feeder in the backyard. While looking at the Christmas tree I saw a shadow streak behind the tree through the bamboo shades over the windows. It streaked from left to right as it flew between my mother's house and the neighbor's house down the driveway, and landed in a shrub. Next thing I know a steady stream of feathers is falling out of the tree!

Moments later an immature Sharp shinned hawk flew out of the shrub and landed in a tree about 20' away with a Carolina Wren. We watched the hawk consume the Wren until it was chased away by an aggressive Grey Squirrel.

A lovely Christmas present. Not for the Wren though. We all gotta eat!

Pedaling Fool
12-25-2007, 13:45
A few years ago I watched, what I believe was a red hawk, pounce on a sterling (I believe) take it up to a tree and devour the entire carcass - nothing was left, but a few feathers, he even ate the beak and feet. I was impressed.

Pedaling Fool
12-25-2007, 13:49
BTW, can you identify this bird I took a pic of near my house, I don't believe it's a red hawk, too small. Sorry for the grainy quality, it was a good distance from me.

Pedaling Fool
12-25-2007, 13:54
Didn't mean to make that pic so big, try this attachment
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2877

MOWGLI
12-25-2007, 14:30
Red Shouldered Hawk.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-shouldered_Hawk.html

Hammock Hanger
12-25-2007, 15:39
Yeap, I have a resident R/S hawk living in the woods behind my house.

Now I'm goning to go out and play with my new car GPS. Still waiting for the trail GPS, maybe the Easter Bunny will bring it.

Cuffs
12-25-2007, 16:09
I have a "hawk buffet" set up in my front yard (bird feeders) and have come home to a flurry of left over feathers on ocaission...

Swerve: HH, the best GPS (Garmin 60csx) is on sale a WM right now and has a $50 rebate, good til 12/31.

Pedaling Fool
12-25-2007, 17:20
Red Shouldered Hawk.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-shouldered_Hawk.html
Thanks, this is a good website.
Correction on my question: I said "red hawk" meant to say red-tail hawk. I've seen a few of these(red-tail hawks) and thought that the one I got a pic looked similar, but not exactly the same.

STEVEM
12-25-2007, 21:34
Last fall I get this call from my wife while I'm at work. There's a bird in the woodstove and it's upsetting her cats. So I come home and try to find the bird. No luck. This goes on for nearly a week with my wife reporting that the cats are spending the entire day looking in the stove for this bird.

Saturday morning comes and I finally hear the bird scratching in the stove. The cats and I open the door a crack and I put my arm in to catch the bird. Out flys this sooty starling into the house followed by two crazy cats and my wife screaming at me, the cats and the bird. It crashes into the walls and windows leaving soot everywhere.

I finally catch the bird, give the cats a sniff and show my wife that it isn't injured. I open the patio door and release the bird which flys about 20 feet before being snatched in midair by a hawk. All thats left is a few feathers floating in the air.

My wife (who hadn't seen this) asked me if the bird was ok. I told her it had flown away and seemed just fine to me.

Cuffs
12-25-2007, 21:45
When you number's up....

Hammock Hanger
12-25-2007, 23:56
I have a "hawk buffet" set up in my front yard (bird feeders) and have come home to a flurry of left over feathers on ocaission...

Swerve: HH, the best GPS (Garmin 60csx) is on sale a WM right now and has a $50 rebate, good til 12/31.

What does WM stand for??

Cuffs
12-26-2007, 00:35
walmart....

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4564610

The General
12-26-2007, 00:42
Reminds me of this one: One wintery day a sparrow is heading South for warmer climes when his frozen wings just cannot carry him any further and he tumbles from the sky. falling to earth he lands in a frozen pasture and life slowly ebbs away, when along comes a cow and craps on the poor frozen sparrow, the warmth of the fresh dung starts to thaw out the frozen bird who cannot believe his good fortune and bursts into song. Attracted by the melody of the sparrow a prowling cat plucks the sparrow from the dung and promtly eats it!!!! Moral of the story- He who ****'s on you is not always your enemy and he who pulls you out of the **** is not always your friend. Just one to bear in mind for 2008.

gold bond
12-26-2007, 10:46
So I'm sitting in my Mother's sun room here in North Myrtle Beach, SC. We're opening presents and admiring the birds eating at the half dozen feeder in the backyard. While looking at the Christmas tree I saw a shadow streak behind the tree through the bamboo shades over the windows. It streaked from left to right as it flew between my mother's house and the neighbor's house down the driveway, and landed in a shrub. Next thing I know a steady stream of feathers is falling out of the tree!

Moments later an immature Sharp shinned hawk flew out of the shrub and landed in a tree about 20' away with a Carolina Wren. We watched the hawk consume the Wren until it was chased away by an aggressive Grey Squirrel.

A lovely Christmas present. Not for the Wren though. We all gotta eat!



I was in Myrtle Beach over the holidays as well as my wifes family is from there!

sherrill
12-26-2007, 12:14
Once I was watching some mourning doves eat seed under my feeders when a red tailed hawk plopped down on one. He sat there until he could get a better grip. My two cats bolted up to the porch railing but decided that it was wise just to watch.

Yesterday (X-mas) we had an eerie thing happen, we heard loud scratchings up on the roof in our sunroom and when I went to make sure it wasn't a squirrel trying to get to a feeder I saw a vulture peering down at me through the skylight.

gold bond
12-26-2007, 12:57
[quote=Cuffs;482343]I have a "hawk buffet" set up in my front yard (bird feeders) and have come home to a flurry of left over feathers on ocaission...

One of the funniest things...well I thought it was funny anyway! When my was about seven years old we were looking out the window at the birds. I have about 14 bird feeders throughout my yard. There was this huge Ring Neck Dove sitting on top of one of the hoppers just kind of looking around. It was gorgeous...all white and I was telling my son about it when all of a sudden poof...nothing but a few feathers floating around! All of a sudden a Red Tailed Hawk Landed right in front of the window and began ripping this dove apart! My son was hysterical and I had to explain the "circle of life" to him!

littlelaurel59
12-26-2007, 20:54
Moments later an immature Sharp shinned hawk flew out of the shrub and landed in a tree about 20' away with a Carolina Wren. We watched the hawk consume the Wren until it was chased away by an aggressive Grey Squirrel.

A lovely Christmas present. Not for the Wren though. We all gotta eat!

The hawk had wren. My family had turkey. Not much different. I bet his fowl was organic, however.

Cuffs
12-26-2007, 21:24
[quote=Cuffs;482343]I have a "hawk buffet" set up in my front yard (bird feeders) and have come home to a flurry of left over feathers on ocaission...

One of the funniest things...well I thought it was funny anyway! When my was about seven years old we were looking out the window at the birds. I have about 14 bird feeders throughout my yard. There was this huge Ring Neck Dove sitting on top of one of the hoppers just kind of looking around. It was gorgeous...all white and I was telling my son about it when all of a sudden poof...nothing but a few feathers floating around! All of a sudden a Red Tailed Hawk Landed right in front of the window and began ripping this dove apart! My son was hysterical and I had to explain the "circle of life" to him!


tragic, yet funny!

camojack
12-26-2007, 22:44
What does WM stand for??
My first thought was "West Marine", which does sell GPS devices...but isn't exactly known for having the lowest prices.