[Startingover]

Just put my tray out for the fat doves who can’t fit on the bird feeder. I put it near shrubs so they would be somewhat sheltered from the hawks view. Came home to find a pile of dove feathers. Possibly it got away. One time saw the hawk dive bomb a dove, there was a flurry of feathers but the dove was able to fly off. Trouble is they walk all over the yard in plain view of the hawk.

 

[ChuckF.]

All things considered, hawks do good work.

 

[Bud9051]

Ya, doves are pretty easy pray. I usually have then in my gravel driveway, they need the rocks. But I do see piles of feathers and then no doves. Just mother nature at work.

Hated it when we had a nest of red cardinals just outside one window, then something ate them, left parts all over my front steps.

But in the big picture we now have a better variety and more of them for all birds, and that probably includes the hawks.

I feel your pain.

Bud

 

[Yodaman]

When I read the thread title, my first thought was, " I have two hawks and have never had any trouble with them, what gives? "
LOL, (mud hawks)

 

[mark sr]

I was painting some new houses in Lake Mary Fla back in the 80s. While eating lunch I watched a small bird repeatedly attack a hawk. The fight would only last a few seconds and then the small bird would tumble towards the ground, recover and then fly back up and attach the hawk again. This lasted for a good 10 minutes, it was amazing to watch. I assume the little bird was protecting it's nest.

 

[Roxygal]

Yeah, I always feel bad for the animals that are dinner for others, but they gotta eat too. It's just part of nature.

 

[Yodaman]

I'm sure animals look at prey, same as we would look at a Quarter Pounder w/cheese!

 

[roughneck]

It’s the basic food chain, really.
You put out bird food.
That brings in food for predatory animals.
Don’t put out food and the Doves go away. Then the Hawks go away, too.

 

[lenaitch]

Try not putting your feeders out for a couple of weeks. Once the hawk realizes your yard is no longer a target rich environment it will probably move on.
Years ago we watched a small raptor (Kestrel or Merlin, can't recall) nail a Mourning Dove in our back yard that was surrounded by a chain link fence. With the weight of the dove in its talons, it took about five tries to clear the fence. Gotta love ambition.

 

[Startingover]

Brazen Hawk flew low straight across my yard this a.m.

It never bothers my cardinals or chickadees. But they’re quick to duck into a shrub. I felt sorry for the doves cause there wasn’t anything for them to eat. Daughter just bought me 50 lbs of safflower seeds for them.

The hawks should stick to snakes an rats.

A common daily sight in summer is a hawk flying with 2 mockers chasing it.... away from nests. They harass it until it leaves. Also had several bluejays screaming near my fence. Went out and a hawk was sitting there but he finally left. Jays didn’t attack him just surrounded him screaming.

 

[mark sr]

I used to have chickens. I could always tell when a hawk flew over as they'd all get quiet and hide. My wife saw 2 chickens fighting on the side of the hill so she walked over and kicked them yelling at them to stop. She was really surprised to find out one was a hawk!

 

[Larryh86GT]

There are red hawks nesting a couple blocks from our house and a few days ago there were 4 of them hunting over our back yard. 2 of them landed in trees and sat there awhile. I never realized how large these hawks are and after a little bit I spotted feathers drifting down from 1 tree as the hawk plucked it's catch before eating it.

 

[Porsche986S]

We live in the Georgia mountains and my wife has lots of bird feeders . We get the full variety of birds including doves . Every once in a while while walking the yard I'll come across the " explosion zone " :biggrin2: of grey feathers , at that point I know a hawk has nailed another one . It's just nature recycling .

 

[DoomsDave]

I was painting some new houses in Lake Mary Fla back in the 80s. While eating lunch I watched a small bird repeatedly attack a hawk. The fight would only last a few seconds and then the small bird would tumble towards the ground, recover and then fly back up and attach the hawk again. This lasted for a good 10 minutes, it was amazing to watch. I assume the little bird was protecting it's nest.

Small birds love to "mob" hawks and larger birds like crows.

 

[DoomsDave]

I live in a place where hawks like to hang.

One day a peregrine falcon set its sights on a couple of dopey doves. Falcon sees them and “stoops”

Dives

200+ mph

Oh my gahd

Doves knew too

Dipped swerved dived and falcon got one in a kaboom of feathers and crash into the street

 

[raylo32]

You just gots to know your place in the food chain and plan accordingly!

 

[Missouri Bound]

Stop feeding them. Nature takes car of itself, you don't need to help.

 

[Nik333]

I just read that birds can carry the coronavirus.

 

[Calson]

Doves fly up at a 45 degree angle and make it easy for a hawk to grab one. I feed the birds and they feed the hawks. I prefer that to having some well fed neighbor's cat killing the birds for sport. House cats kill more than 2 billion wild birds in the United States every year and I discourage them from coming onto my property and harrasing the birds. Wish I had smarter neighbors who would keep their cats inside.

 

[Startingover]

Calson, luckily my city doesn’t allow dogs to roam outside their yards......or cats.

I’ve planted many shrubs which appear ordinary but attract birds. They like the understory shrubs for protection.

I’m especially fond of little ground doves. The others are mourning and white wing.