Get off my lawn !

[wwb]

Big commotion out in the back yard this morning..... a hawk perched on top of a spruce tree, and about a dozen crows harassing him - dive-bombing him and cawing up a storm. He left before I could get the video camera, or I would have posted a short clip.

They sure make a racket.

 

[coach]

I've seen the same. I also found a crow head next to my house where a hawk dropped it after dining on the rest while perching on the peak of my house. Anything to make the hawk go away just don't lose sight of the hawk.
Then the mocking birds and catbirds harass the crows since they like to feed on the eggs and little ones in the nest.

 

[bogus bill]

Wife and I were driving a back road here in Utah. Saw a eagle swoop down in some brush and come up with a big snake. It gained altitude and dropped the snake to kill it!

 

[Aqualung]

I've seen blue jays harass the living daylights out of a great horned owl.

What a racket! I felt really sorry for the poor owl...

Aqualung

 

[Mike J]

I have watched smaller birds swarm a hawk to make it leave. You can't really blame them if they have the numbers to pull it off.

 

[exavid]

Birds use a 'mobbing' tactic against lone predators. Crows will mob an eagle in the air and even when the eagle is on the ground. We had an eagle tree next to our house in Juneau. Ravens would make an unbelievable racket when they'd mob the nesting pair of eagles in the tree. After a couple of breeding seasons I really felt like falling that tree.

 

[SamV]

Yes, I have seen birds trying to chase off predators also. We have a Cooper Hawk that has returned to my street. I like to listen to it. It hunts and brings its catch back to the street light to eat. There is usually various bird or small animal parts around the light. Last year I kept hearing a bunch of annoying Blue jays. I look outside and Mr. Hawk was munching away on a jay. They kept making a racket and dive bombing him, but he basically ignored them and finished his meal.

 

[wunbe]

We have a floor to ceiling window -- not a walk out -- in our kitchen. About 10' away across the porch, we put in a bird feeder -- one of the raised steel and plexiglass models that the squirrels can't empty in a heartbeat or wreck. Bird and squirrel/chipmunk use is heavy. A big red shoulder hawk also comes to dine as does the odd fox. Once, there was even a good sized copperhead there.

The hawk either perches in high trees close by and swoops on a gaggle of birds to thin out the dumb ones, or he sits nearly on the ground about three feet away nestled into a thick bush.

Never been able to get my cell phone camera into action quick enough for picts.

wunbe

 

[wheelgun1958]

A hi res security cam will get your pics.

 

[markallen]

This one lives across the street from me.
I have seen him flip upside down, while in flight and snag one of six crows that constantly harass him.
These crows will call for re enforcements. As soon as the hawk takes to air, the crows will start calling each other in.
They won't do anything but follow the hawk until there are at least six crows, then they'll start dive bombing the hawk.

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