Hawks AGAIN!
 

OMG! My heartrate is still up there. I've been thinking about the threads about hawks/big predatory birds lately. Someone said they were going to listen for flapping noises from their wings as they fly in. I just remembered something... this is what triggered it:

I was just taking a break and I let 3 dogs out and stood to watch them at the door. We have a roof over the porch, so they go down to the yard not too far, like 5-10 feet. I'm looking at them, and see a huge shadow moving across the yard and out to the parking area. I think What the heck was that? No sooner after that thought came into my head, a spark went off in my brain and I just wildly ran after them into the yard. It was a hawk! I had seen that kind of shadow before... it took a minute to register. Then I can't see Tinkerbell.

Calling and calling... she hasn't come yet. I look up and see the hawk circling over the houses in the block, peeking down into the yards. Starting to panic, screaming for her to come... I can't leave the other two to go get Tink, but I kept my eye on that bird. Finally I hear some russling in the bush, and out comes Tink, jogging towards me. Whew!

The hawk was going further away, so we stood in the yard for a few more minutes. Then I remembered, hawks and owls and all the bigger birds... fly silently... they make no noise at all when they swoop down on their prey! So listening for them is not a good idea. This is the second time I saw an odd shadow... 8-12 feet long and maybe 5 feet wide.. it looked like just one wing! I know the hawk wasn't that big (at least I hope not, lol).

Anyway we're back inside, and safe! I just aged 10 more years! Just wanted to warn everyone to LOOK out for the beasts... you won't hear them coming!:eek:

how scary

I guess they would be pretty hungry birds if they made noise when they fly. No, it is actually eerie how quiet they are. Those owls have a huge wing span but are dead silent. The hawks in our area are very quiet as well. I can usually tell when one is around because the other small birds make such a fuss when there is a hawk around.

wow Kathy glad you noticed the shadow, I am going to goggle Hawks because I don't really know what they look like, thankfully Lola is used to going out by leash to potty

How scary! It seems like they are out more and more all the time...

I've heard of small dogs being snatched, lead and all! I have a very tiny front yard, I can make it to the gate in 2.5 seconds! (JK)(I did it in less time today) You know, my chest has only now stopped hurting... that happened almost 2 hours ago! Adrenaline... best drug ever! I don't even remember going through any doors! Lol!

When I worked at the Animal Hospital, I helped with rehabbing Raptors. I think I would have jumped on one if it grabbed one of my dogs! I don't fear them, I fear what they can do to a small dog!

They're all different... check specifically what's in your area. You can't see their heads too well, but when they fly over head, you can see the under parts of their wings which have distinctive markings. Then there's the diff between juvies and adults, male and female. Might even see a range map...

Omg! I hate hawks! Glad your babies were safe! :eek:

omg how scary i was at the edge of my seat reading the part that you called out for Tink. Thank god your babies are safe.

Good grief! The hawks are just invading! I'm so glad you were vigilant and could know what to listen and realize once you saw the shadow, etc. Too close for comfort once again but thank goodness those precious Yorkies are safe and you too! These hawk reports are all too frequent!!!

Eeek! Very happy you are safe. The hawks do seem more prevalent this year, and I agree, you can't hear them coming. When I sit in my kitchen, I see the huge shadows that they cast on the deck. They are brazen and circle over us on our walks in the neighborhood.

Silent and FAST :eek:
They are real "hit and run" artists.

I've been seeing more hawks in my area also. Weather change? I've seen two in the last couple of days circling the neighborhood. Usually I just have big noisy crows around. Scarey stuff.:(

Many species an most juvie hawks are migrating right now.

Here is a good link for exploring all the various raptors in North America. When you click on a species it'll show you a range map of where they are during the year.
Browse for a bird by name and shape, All About Birds, Cornell Lab ofOrnithology

I know how scary that was...glad everything was okay. The hawk situations seem to be increasing.

How scary. I have learned to tell the difference between the hawks and turkey buzzards here. They both fly over all of the time.
When Gigi is outside she is right next to me. Not taking any chances.

Oh my gosh! So glad everyone is okay. Whew, that was definitely scary. I think I aged myself reading your story. Make sure to give Tink some extras hugs and kisses. :)

I was just speaking with someone yesterday who has a 1 year old yorkie who lives near me on the eastern shore...she told me that every county in MD has coyote and that she has them in her neighborhood. Yikes! I am going to find out exactly where she lives, especially in relation to where I am. I couldn't pinpoint it when she told me so I'm going to be seeing her in the next couple of day and find out exactly where.

I agree with Lab Princess. The young adults are out trying to stake out their own hunting grounds. They can be dangerous because they are hungry!

My guys have already killed one Hawk, and I do have a lot of confidence that another incident will be worse on the Hawk than them, but...

Don't' think for a minute, that when I DO see one flying around, that I don't pull my guys back inside.

They're brave and I'm somewhat boastful, but, I'm NOT going to take any unnecessary chances. Nor should you. A very good reason to go on High Alert, specially if you have more diminutive animals.

More hawk info.....

I really feel Cali's (3 lbs, 13 oz) recent hawk experience was a major miracle for her. I would doubt that she would survive another one like it. We were sooooo lucky....and she did do good!

My son (airforce fighter pilot) started flying at age 12. Because he was so young the old instructor started by having him fly gliders (until he was 13.5 and then of course he wanted POWER). Last night he told me about hawks. Said he watched them intensely because they are birds that soar most of the time - the reason they are silent is because you don't hear them flap their wings very often - they mostly soar using "thermals", which is why they dont like to, and will avoid, flying over large bodies of water where they don't get the thermals. They migrate to South America for the winter in the fall from about Oct through Nov and then return in the Spring.

I wonder if that is why we are seeing so many now at this time of the year.

Our Red tail hawks stay all year round. They hang out on the thruway and some of the larger roads that have grass dividers. The watch the little critters from the trees and swoop down and get them.

I was so upset last night I didn't post my experience yesterday with Laddy but we had the same thing almost happen here. The kids were in our back yard with DH when my grandaughters arrived. I went to the front door and saw a huge hawk. Like you I went running to get the kids and no Laddy!!!!! Two hours later and so many tears and feeling hopeless the neighbor found him on the other side of the privacy fence in the school yard behind our home. I was so terrified that the hawk had gotten him, then I thought maybe someone took him. I was beginning to hate our new house. I was so happy when we moved here with a completely fenced yard and no wild animals to speak of, but he had found a hole in the fence and escaped so now we are in the process of putting pipe around the bottom of the entire fence sigh. So glad your puppy's are safe. God bless.

OMGosh! Two hours! I'd have been done in...Tink was only gone 2 minutes or so... So glad you got Laddy back, safe and sound!

I'm beginning to look for hawks & there have been no sightings here where I live but I look and hold onto my umbrella just in case when Tibbe is outside! All these reports have me scared we might get one going south and flying over and just decide to swoop down here in this busy neighborhood when he sees a tiny dog running around!

nanahas3, I'm so glad your baby was found safe!!! I'll bet you were near hysterics when you saw Laddy after all that time! All these stories are so upsetting and unsettling. You never think when you get a little dog you will have to watch the skies from then on when they are outside!!! It just hadn't come up ever until I joined YT and found out what can happen. And now lately, with hawks, buzzards, owls in the skies and coyotes, cougar, even bear in some areas, raccoon, possum and off-leash dogs & who knows what else out there roaming around, there's a lot to worry about. :(

And alligators, snakes, armadillos, spiders, scorpions and bees! Oh my!

Kathy, So glad your babies are alright. Two years ago I watched from my kitchen window as a juvenile Red Tail Hawk tried to pick up and carry off a very large old groundhog. He was too heavy and feisty for the young, inexperienced raptor, and the groundhog put up one heck of a good fight, but it taught me a valuable lesson. Raptors and falcons can even be found in the city. For those with teapot Yorkies, don't think you are safe. Those sharp talons and beaks can inflict horrible damage, even if you baby is too big to carry away. And by the way, a lady applied at our rescue for a Silky I was fostering. She watched in horror as her last Silky was carried off by a raptor. And no one mentioned foxes. In the spring we see so many bunnies everywhere around the neighborhood. By late summer they are almost gone. I don't mean to start trouble, but I just don't understand folks that use doggie doors, or leave their babies out in the yard unattended. It's not fun to go outside when it's cold, wet, dark, or snowy, but it's too dangerous not to. Gates left open, thieves, and predators are a scary reality no matter where you live.

Apparently the balance of nature has really been disturbed by the sounds of all these events with various predators. It seems like there is more danger in neighborhood settings than for those who live in wooded areas. Maybe it is just because we are more accustomed to taking precautions. It just seems strange that so many predators are showing up in residential areas.

LOL! And other dogs, too! :D

It does seem that the critters are moving inward and getting bold. Thankfully our neighborhood hadn't had any dangerous critters yet except I've had Lizzie the clear-looking lizard or salamander or whatever she was that was 3" long nose to tail, one very like her back when I first got Tibbe; and back when I still had Jilly, a baby garden snake showed up in my kitchen! I think they come in as I stand on the porch with the back door open while the dog is going potty! I leave the door open until all business finished & we both come back into the Utility Porch so sometimes it is open for 30 minutes or so, with only the storm door that's often left ajar, too, I'll admit. After the garden snake incident, I had all my landscaping redone and all big bushes, shrubs, flower beds and such undone & only small Japanese boxwood planted for shrubbery, along with my two huge trees, one in front & one in back, and the lawns front, side and back. There is just no place for critters(big or small) to hide near my house and I have no ponds, pools or a deck. So in this very busy, suburban neighborhood just 30 minutes in traffic from downtown Dallas, the most of the critters we deal with are walking, jogging or running.

When I was walking Tibbe Thursday, I noticed that only one neighbor on our block - on my side and the homes across the street - has a big dog, a Doberman. All the other dogs on our block now are small to medium size dogs, and I think 5 or 6 are Yorkies. There was a time in the late 90's - early millennium that so many neighbors had multiple big dogs but not any more. Wonder why that is?

Anyway, I pray the predator birds and dangerous critters stay further out and leave Tibbe alone!