Henry Rifle Forums

About once a month I get a visitor who fly's up and perches on my balcony. It is the neighborhood Red Tail hawk looking for something to eat from the second floor. From where I sit on the sofa he or she is about 7 ft. from me. It looked in find shape, well fed, and as cool as a bird of prey can be. I usually get about five minutes view time before it takes off. I pretty sure its the same one from what I can tell from the markings on its chest. And I am pretty sure it knows I there because he looks right thru the patio doors at me. Makes my day when it comes and pays a visits.

Sweet. Miss Tina wouldn't like to have her as a regular visitor though, since she has about twenty five heritage breed chickens running around free range here, plus whatever chicks are following the hens. A regular hawk buffet....

They are amazing birds. The Red-tailed eats mostly mammals, but, yeah, they also take birds, up to the size of pheasants.

North Country Gal wrote:They are amazing birds. The Red-tailed eats mostly mammals, but, yeah, they also take birds, up to the size of pheasants.

She had a Cooper's Hawk that swooped in and hit a large Orpington Hen, and the hen was so fat the hawk couldn't fly away with it. The hawk would dig it's claws into the hen and flap it's wings and try and lift off and .... go nowhere. It would settle down on the hen's carcass, set itself, shrug it's shoulders, gather up, and flap like mad and .... go nowhere, the hen was simply to heavy. It tried and tried and simply couldn't get airborne, the hen was simply too fat.

Then the big rooster, who had been in the front of the property with the other half of the flock, came charging around the side of the house, attracted by the cackling of the hens in the back. The rooster was at least twice the hawk's weight and was in the mood for a fight. The hawk decided that Chicken was no longer on the menu.. The hawks will roll in and snatch a chick out of the flock when they are free ranging.. if the roosters aren't close by.

A nice old fellow I knew had a farm with a redtailed hawk nesting somewhere near his barnyard. It would swoop in and strafe him sometimes between the barn and the house. They can be fearless and pretty agressive.
Beautiful birds, but I wouldn't want one after me.
I've seen a bald eagle flying low along a highway that borders a lake near here. He would pace my car and look right in at me.
They fly with power and grace that makes them seem regal somehow. I know why the American Indians hold them in such high regard. They're majestic.

It sounds pretty neat to get that time with the hawk.

Where I'm from, red tails are all over. Between them and the coyotes, the squirrels and rabbits are almost gone. I'd rather it was the reverse myself.

Has a sharp-shinned crossover me from right to left as I was driving the other day then he paralleles me for a bit on my left and I could see him look down at me. Then he drifted back over until he was right above me and like a B-52 bomber pilot dropped one right on my windshield! I cussed and laughed all at the same time!

You should do a YouTube of yourself shooting it with a red rider bb gun.............can you spell ........
VIRAL

And then five grandkids on me like a lynch mob and the second oldest...she does not take prisoners.