"Watch like a hawk, See like a hawk"

"Watch like a hawk, See like a hawk" as the old saying goes. This Cooper's Hawk has been visiting our yard the last couple of weeks. He definitely does not go unnoticed. He perches himself on top of the pigeon coop, in the oak tree or on the fence. He doesn't mind if we are working in the yard. He will not hesitate to swoop right by your head. One can feel the gush of wind as he swoops by. He has made attacks at the pigeon aviary as well as the quail coops.

The pigeons will not come into the aviary when the hawk makes his presence known. The quail freeze in their coops, not moving a muscle nor feather. The wild birds hush. The squirrels take cover and remain hidden. You could seriously hear nothing. The back yard world is silenced. They sense that there is a predator among them.

 Free-roaming farmyard chickens, ducks, and pigeons attract hawks and owls and are highly susceptible to predators. Many problems can be eliminated by simply housing poultry. All hawks and owls are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. These laws strictly prohibit the capture, killing, or possession of hawks without a special permit. The only solution is prevention. I just wished he would go away and quit intimidating and being a bully to my birds.