Sometimes I think I'm laying out a smorgasbord for the Cooper's Hawks. (1 Viewer)

[PumaMan]

I've been feeding the birds for 25 years now. I have four feeders, all within the same general area so I can view them out my den window: a regular seed feeder, a nyjer feeder for the Goldfinches, a suet feeder, and a hummingbird feeder. But several times a day the Cooper's Hawks fly thru and try to pick off a bird. They are sometimes successful, usually getting a dove. I don't begrudge them for this -- they have to eat too and they are magnificent birds. But sometimes I feel responsible for the demise of "my" birds . . .

ETA: The Harris's Hawks occasionally swoop down and try to pick off one of the rabbits that is cleaning up under the bird feeders.

 

[Richard Prior]

I have the same situation here with Eurasian Sparrowhawk PM but it's only natural, here I've noticed that the greater the concentration of birds around the feeders, the more frquent are its visits, so on the recent heavy snowfall days a lot more tits (chickadee equivalent over here) came out of the forest to visit the feeders, young Mr Sparrowhawk just followed them!

 

[PumaMan]

The raptors are beautiful birds. Sometimes a Cooper's Hawk or Harris's Hawk will fly down and just sit in a tree next to the feeders for a half-hour. I guess just waiting for dinner.

 

[KC Foggin]

Nature is Nature. Not always pleasant to see but it's Nature nonetheless.

 

[PumaMan]

Nature is Nature. Not always pleasant to see but it's Nature nonetheless.

Yes, I understand this. In fact all of nature is a fight for survival, flora and fauna. And for a very large percentage of the human race it is the same.

 

[Andy Strachan]

I've been feeding the birds consistently for around 2 years now, and only in the last few weeks did a Sparrowhawk catch on to what was going on in our garden. It finally noticed the 20-30 house sparrows that are here daily, and the starlings, blackbirds, tits etc that are always here, and now its terrorising the area haha they're not even safe in the bushes as the hawk just jumps in after them! I am excited to see the Sparrowhawk, but at the same time, have concerns.
I feel the same way you do.
I feed the birds every day to support them, especially over the winter.
But I'm concerned that the balance is all wrong here, but maybe not. Enticing 50 birds every day to an open area (to avoid cats) with food, is surely making life a lot easier for the hawks? I'm trying to make life easier for the small birds, but am I really supporting those small birds if they are getting picked off now and again?
Would they have been better off wintering it out without the free food with a better chance of avoiding a waiting sparrowhawk?
Maybe the Sparrowhawk need's the support more than these other birds. Where would they be without these garden birds?
It's just difficult to gauge who's benefitting and who's losing here.
It raises all sorts of questions!
Should we even feed the birds at all? Should they come to rely on it, and it's no longer there, then is it all for nothing?

 

[PumaMan]

Should we even feed the birds at all? Should they come to rely on it, and it's no longer there, then is it all for nothing?

There are several sides to this argument. (1) Don't feed at all. (2) Only feed during winter (or other harsh times). (3) Feed all year, but "if you start don't stop."

I'm working on number (3) and I don't plan to stop till I can no longer physically do it.