Do we have any birders here ?

[Angore]

I want to share this little story that happened to me last week :

Last Wednesday while at work , myself and two coworkers were just shooting the breeze out in our drop lot when something caught our eyes .
It was a seemingly injured bird hopping along the fence line. Birds of prey are very common in the city . They hunt the pigeons that nest nearby.
We decided to call the SPCA and they forwarded us to the DEC. About 1/2 hour later a woman from the DEC shows up and she can't catch him. My 2 coworkers had left and I decided to help her as she was about to give up . She threw a blanket to me over the fence and told me how to grab his feet and keep his head covered .
I managed to toss the blanket over him and get ahold of both his feet .I carried the bundled injured little guy over to her Jeep and slid it into a pet carrier. He looked in pretty rough shape to my untrained eye . I gave the woman my info and asked if she would keep me updated.
This afternoon I get a call . The bird was taken to our SPCA and is doing "quite well".
She sent me a pic .
He's about a 1 year old Coopers Hawk.
He's gorgeous.

 

[Woodtroll]

Nice job! Cooper's are neat birds.

 

[cuinrearview]

Chicken killer

 

[Duane(Pa)]

Chicken killer

Chickens is good eatin' Also, Red Squirrel killer, so... Just gonna send it!

 

[fredx]

did she say what was wrong with it? Injured or sick / diseased?

 

[Angore]

did she say what was wrong with it? Injured or sick / diseased?

What she told me on the phone was that he had been in a fight as they are very territorial at this time if year. When they got him to the SPCA he was found to have a sticky substance all over his feathers . There is a filthy flour mill across the street and I can only assume that he got in a fight there and got his feathers coated with all the flour and water that's everywhere. He was given a thorough bath and began flying briefly in his enclosure.

 

[Angore]

The SPCA is going to send me some more pics and updates on his condition as they become available. I'll keep you folks posted.....

 

[av8or3]

Chicken killer

Everything eats chicken. Just try and keep them.

 

[hacskaroly]

Everything eats chicken. Just try and keep them.

We had a couple of bald eagles in a nearby pine tree this morning....the chickens would not come out of the coup!!

Luckily we have crows that are usually nearby and will fly cover for the chickens.

 

[Only the Tony]

Couple of eagles today.