zgirl Loc: TN

We are blessed to have a yard filled with tons of activity. Jays, Cardinals, Hummingbirds, Barn Swallows, Turtles, Frogs in the pond, Foxes, Raccoons, a few squirrels that are "honey baked hams" ..... you get the idea.

A couple of years ago a young hawk began visiting occasionally. We were not unhappy about this because across the street stands a significant grove of bamboo. The owners of the property actually have the Memphis Zoo thin it once in a while for the Pandas. So far so good, right? The problem was a significant (scary) number of blackbirds living in the bamboo. Cordova is a hot, humid area and bird droppings have been a significant cause of respiratory problems in the past.

Mr. Hawk shows up and the numbers decrease. He took care of a decade old problem.

Now he's gone off and found some girl hawk and they have a couple of young hawks and they are terrorizing the neighborhood.

The wildlife in their previous sanctuary is about as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (or, more accurately a bunch of potential hawk food in our back yard). They have a reason to be nervous. We found a deceased squirrel on our roof one morning and it was a couple of weeks later at dinner with our neighbors that we were told she saw the hawk take the squirrel, she just didn't know where.

As a result of the hawk family, all of the regulars are skittish as they can be except for the mockingbirds that are like a bunch of F-5's after an F-16.

My regular subjects are hiding and every time the hawk lands in the back yard, as soon as I grab the camera he has taken wing before I can get the lens cap off.

I know, it's nature. I was spoiled and used to be able to get really good shots on a regular basis and now I need to change my strategy.

Any suggestions?

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Have you notified your state and/or county wildlife service of the problem?

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Get a plastic Eagle and tie it to the roof - bigger predator ! may last long enough for the youngsters to find a new range. (the plastic bird scarer's do not work for long unless you move them around)
have fun

ggttc Loc: TN

Most likely they are coopers or sharp shinned hawks. They are protected and it against the law to harass them.

We occasionally have hawks in the backyard and they do clear the birds out in a heartbeat.

zgirl Loc: TN

No, not yet. It appears the Mockingbirds are giving the hawks a run for the money. I have seen them run them out of our yard, the bamboo stand, down the street.... they are quite vigilant guards.

In this particular area, unless we had a wounded raptor, I do not think we would get much of a response.

zgirl Loc: TN

Thank you for the suggestion. We have a huge plastic owl that we hung on our deck swing (to keep the blackbirds away). The other morning as I was getting ready to work, I looked out the back door and the hawk was sitting on the top portion of the deck swing support. He was sitting directly above where we hung the owl.

Of course I raced for the camera to catch that (ironic) shot as they were about the same size!

Once again, lens cap off....

He's gone.

I will take your suggestion to move the plastic fellow about. I imagine they have decided he is not a threat. :-)

Thanks!

zgirl Loc: TN

When the first young hawk appeared, I did some research and I am fairly confident that they are Coopers.

I would never think to harass or harm them.

I am trying to adjust my formerly (lazy) easy access to a "Snow White and the forest creatures" type of shooting in my backyard to a "Shrek and Donkey" are scaring off my subjects captures.

zgirl Loc: TN

We just relocated the resident owl to a new location. Thanks again!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Last weekend we were at Pt Pelee National {Canadian} Park watching some Black Terns when suddenly they all took off. It turned out that an Osprey had shown up, and the Black Terns weren't about to cede their nesting grounds, so they jointly attacked the Osprey ... and he decided to go elsewhere. Too bad your locals cannot organize a militia like that.

zgirl Loc: TN

The Mockingbirds are holding their own.... they just have not been able to convince the hawks that they should not come back yet.

All of the usual residents are still hanging in the yard; they just don't feel as comfortable as they used to feel while looking for worms, termites, flies, etc.. All of that stuff that you really look forward to enjoying on a Saturday night!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Find the highest limb you can get to. Bore a small hole in the top of the eagles head, feed through some heavy monofilament and Assuming of course that the eagle is hollow, tie the bottom of the mono to a washer bigger than the hole. At the other end, tie the hanging eagle to the limb. A slight breeze will move the eagle and scare other raptors away. This also works with a plastic owl to chase away swallows.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I would just enjoy nature as it is and learn to photograph in the new enviroment

nikonboy Loc: Apple Valley, MN and Pine Island, Florida

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

We occasionally experience the same here also, when the hawks are in the area, nothing else is...even the little baking dogs in the neighborhood seem to quite down (not that that's a bad thing) but after a few days, the hawks leave ( I suppose for the lack of critters) and normalcy is usually restored, barking dogs, birds chirping and all the chipmunks return, the ones that escaped the wrath.

NormanTheGr8 Loc: Racine, Wisconsin

Try leaving the lens cap off ?👍😉