Trouble with Hawks II

[Acquistapace]

Yesterday we had 2 separate Hawk attacks. We were able to get a hold of the situation and rescue the 2 injured pigeons.
We have a friendly flock of feral pigeons that live at our place in the high desert in So. Calif. Mom provides food and shelter for them. She also helps with the recovery of the young, old, and sick. The flock has become a main staple in our lives.
While working outside on my mobile home yesterday a hawk had taken a pigeon from My Mom's place about 300 feet from my place. I happened to turn to go into the house when I saw wings rolling on the ground not more than 30 feet from me, as I ran towards the comotion the hawk flew away and the injured pigeons hobbled to safety under my mobile, Mom was outside in her back yard and saw this and grapped the pigeon net and came running over to help catch the pigeon. We were able to rescue him and examine his injury, apparently he had been hooked under his wing and was bleeding.
Mom took the bird to her house where he is now, to keep him safe and warm till she feels he is ready to go outside.
She has 3 seperate coops outside , she closes them up in the evening.
The 2nd attack happened about 40 minutes later, this time a much larger hawk got into the big pigeon coop. This never happens since Mom has a small flight door on it for the pigeons to come and go.
I knew something was wrong when I saw the pigeons flying out at rapid speed
as I ran to the coop I saw a hawk thrashing around. I saw another pigeon with the same kind of injury under her wing, there was also a baby pigeon still in his nest that luckily the hawk had not seen.
Mom came running this time with a shotgun and camera in hand. We had been talking pretty tough last week about the problem with the hawks.
We decided instead to shoot some shots of him with the camera and we would set him free with a warning shot, We weren't all that tough after all said and done. He didn't get a warning shot when let free cuz of all times the shotgun didn't engage.
You can see from the pictures what a beautiful bird he is.
Yes I did, I went inside the coop to get these pictures.
Linda, Lovely Lacey's Mama

[TAWhatley]

Linda,

I'm sure sorry for the hawk attacks on your pigeons. Still, you did the right thing by rescuing your injured and only taking pictures of the hawk. It is HUGELY illegal to do bodily harm to a hawk as they are protected under state and federal laws. If the hawk continues to be a problem, you should contact the US Fish & Wildlife Service as well as your state Dept. of Fish & Game and ask them to assist you with the hawk.

This is a really bad time of year to allow any of your "pet" birds to be out and free flying .. best to keep them locked down until the hawks move on.

I hope your injured pijjies will recover quickly.

Terry

[Acquistapace]

TAWhatley want makes this a bad time of the year for hawks?

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by Acquistapace

TAWhatley want makes this a bad time of the year for hawks?

Hawks migrate and as they travel through an area, they are very tired and hungry and looking for any opportune meal. Your pigeons make a perfect target. I would have to go find references with chapter and verse on when the migratory times are in various parts of the country, but right now, there are lots and lots of hawks here in Southern Califorinia, and they are HUNGRY.

Terry

[pdpbison]

Hi Linda,



A Shotgun or the 'Blast' of one going off is not going to mean anything to a Hawk or any other Bird...or, it would mean no more than say, clanging some Pots and Pans and 'yelling' or something would...and the latter of course, are much safer for everyone..!


Phil
l v

[Marion Springer]

Regarding me firing a shotgun to frighten the hawks when they are attacking the pigeons, please understand we live way out in the wide open spaces and our closest neighbor is one mile away. It's not like I was firing off a gun in a densely populated area. Besides I never, never shoot AT a hawk. I do know right from wrong!

I get very upset with the hawks but I would never kill one. That said, I have no problem doing what it takes to scare them away. I have used all sorts of things to wave in the air while running about shouting to frighten the hawks. I have respect for all wild creatures, and the hawks are truly beautiful , but I wish they wouldn't prey on my feral birds. Many of those birds have been hand raised because they were injured or abandoned as babies. Others were taken in as adult birds because of being injured one way or another and nursed back to health. It hurts to see them eaten!

You wouldn't believe how bold those hawks are...they even come onto the front porch of my home to get pigeons and one day there was a hawk just sitting on a plant holder on the porch watching me through the window.

And today we lost another pigeon to the hawk. So please don't lecture me about shooting to scare the predators away.
Marion Springer

[Birdmom4ever]

A blast with a hose works well, too. We are also plagued with hawks during the winter. They come right in under the patio cover trying to get our doves and will sit in front of the loft and watch the pigeons. Early yesterday morning I came downstairs in time to see an adult male Cooper's hawk terrorize one of our dove pairs by flying at the side of their little cote. I chased him off with a blast of water from the garden hose and he didn't come back.

We don't free-fly our pigeons anymore for this reason. But if you do fly your birds, it's generally safer from mid-spring to summer.