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[goldeneagle]

I don't know if this is the place to post. I am having a problem this year with Hawks(sharped-shinned hark and Broad-winged Hawk) coming to my feeders. They seem to be targeting the juncos. What a day...as I chased a sharped-shinned away, the broad-winged Hawk got a junco...I notice it this year because I am home(retired) all day. Is there anything I can do to discourage them? Our community is surrounded by woods so they should be able to find plenty of food...I'm miffed as to why they are coming to my feeders. any suggestions??

 

[Ade George]

I dont know of any solutions to what you describe. Unfortunately you create a feeding station for all birds. With such a condensed number of passerines in your garden, you will always get the raptors going threw. Personally I enjoy seeing the raptors and know that to survive they must kill, its nature.

One possibility is to put the feeders closer to the vegetation. The sharpies will have less chance of catching. just dont feed in the middle of a big lawn.

 

[goldeneagle]

Thanks for your reply...I am thrilled to see the hawks...I've never see them so close up before. I am thinking of moving the feeders from the front yard to along side my home so I can better keep an eye on them...see if that works...

 

[talon_dfa]

Finding plenty of food in the surrounding area or finding easy food at your feeder?
I would choose the later.

I am curious about the broad-wing taking birds from a feeder in Delaware in December.

I hate to say "never", but more likely that bird is a Juvy Cooper's Hawk.

(Broad-wings should be eating insects and amphibians in the tropics this time of year).

Better yet, get a pic and prove me wrong.

 

[joannec]

I don't know if this is the place to post. I am having a problem this year with Hawks(sharped-shinned hark and Broad-winged Hawk) coming to my feeders. They seem to be targeting the juncos. What a day...as I chased a sharped-shinned away, the broad-winged Hawk got a junco...I notice it this year because I am home(retired) all day. Is there anything I can do to discourage them? Our community is surrounded by woods so they should be able to find plenty of food...I'm miffed as to why they are coming to my feeders. any suggestions??

I would love to have sharpies and broad-winged hawks coming to my garden!!!

I don't think there is anything to discourage them coming other than stop feeding the passerines....it is a consequence of artificially feeding.

I'm the other side of the pond and have regular visits from a sparrowhawk. It's always a great thrill when I see one close up. I take the view that there are increased passerines in my garden because I feed them. Of course the sparrowhawk takes advantage of this but the net gain, IMV is that more little birds survive the winter and everything else to breed.

Joanne

 

[goldeneagle]

Finding plenty of food in the surrounding area or finding easy food at your feeder?
I would choose the later.

I am curious about the broad-wing taking birds from a feeder in Delaware in December.

I hate to say "never", but more likely that bird is a Juvy Cooper's Hawk.

(Broad-wings should be eating insects and amphibians in the tropics this time of year).

Better yet, get a pic and prove me wrong.

You are probably right...I'm new at this and I haven't taken into consideration, the different stages of growth..I do know one was a sharp-shinned and I just tried comparing pictures on the second hawk. We do have cooper's hawks too....this could be a juvenile. I just pushed feeders deeper into the pine tree so they aren't so out in the open all the time. Thanks

 

[ceasar]

Coopers and Sharpys can be very difficult to distinguish. The male of the former and the female of the latter often overlap in size. There are some generalizations that can help, but a good bird guide (and there are many) is a big help. Wheeler's Raptors of Eastern North America I find to be especially helpful and educational. Also, you can learn a lot by examining the photographs posted in these forums and following the dialogues therein.

The juveniles of both species have light irises. Usually the sharpy's are yellow or yellow-orange and in the cooper's they are gray or gray-green. But not always. See what I mean?
Cordially,
Bob

 

[lbuscher]

Hey Golden here read this. Its a link from a sight on my web ( www.loubuscher.com ) from a rehabber friend of mine and it is the only true advise you can get for what is happening to you
Lou

http://www.dvrconline.org/HawkatFeeder.html

 

[Blaumeise]

Thanks for your reply...I am thrilled to see the hawks...I've never see them so close up before. I am thinking of moving the feeders from the front yard to along side my home so I can better keep an eye on them...see if that works...

If you do that, be careful not to place the feeders too close to your window. The birds can't see glass. They could try to escape the hawks by flying into your window. At the least they will be stunned and incapacitated by the impact, making easy pickings for the hawks.