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.

 

[Bill G]

This is a chicken that survived all the predators around here for a good long time.

Who says chickens cannot fly...................

 

[Wilhelm]

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.

View attachment 479378

Yeah , yeah - we get it the birds fine.

How'd the dinner date go though?

 

[Wilhelm]

I have some big ones eying my back yard every day.
They got 4 young Silky roosters and at least one Silky chicken last autumn.
Oddly, not a single duck fell prey to them.

Also, a cuckoo gives me blank stares every time I look into a mirror.

 

[av8or3]

View attachment 479456
View attachment 479457
Couple of eagles today.

I always felt lucky to spot a Bald Eagle, I didn’t see my first wild one until I was 50 yo. I never imagined there could be that many in one spot. Wow.

 

[Angore]

How'd the dinner date go though?

She wasn't my type.
Nice lady though .

 

[bigbadbob]

On the drive home the other day there was a moose or cow carcass 100yrds away,, eagles were feasting on it.
Here is a immature one going to the feast

 

[bigbadbob]

A few years ago,,, coyote feast.

 

[fredx]

eagles are scavengers

 

[cuinrearview]

eagles are scavengers

 

[Only the Tony]

eagles are scavengers

Watched them and ospreys pick fish from the water several times on one of the local lakes. Most of us are not above partaking in an easy meal either.