Back yard predator

[Brad Little]

Has visited twice in the past few days. I guess our bird feeder has added a level on the food chain! Not an expert, but think it's a Cooper's Hawk.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yup. We have 'em in Maine. Nothing like a birdbath or bird feeder to keep a Cooper fat and sassy through the winter!

Last year our neighborhood had a pair of peregrine falcons. Wow. The F-15 of killing machines.

 

[Brad Little]

Yup. We have 'em in Maine. Nothing like a birdbath or bird feeder to keep a Cooper fat and sassy through the winter!

Last year our neighborhood had a pair of peregrin falcons. Wow. The F-15 of killing machines.

We had a peregrine falcon on our front steps a few years back! Pretty amazing considering we're in a near inner city neighborhood! Lately our feeders have been attracting quite a few pigeons, fat and sassy prey for a falcon.

 

[GGJaguar]

We see them from time to time in our backyard, too. Usually they are after chipmunks.

 

[ReevesRd]

We have several redtail hawks in our neighborhood.

 

[gjmalcyon]

We have several redtail hawks in our neighborhood.

Fascinating birds. We had a mated pair in the tall pine tree across the street for several years. Kept the bunny/squirrel/ground squirrel population in check.

Got to see them lock talons and spiral down in courtship flights - breathtaking.

As their fledglings grew up they turned into loud, bratty, perpetually hungry teenagers always hollering for food or beefing with their siblings. It got pretty noisy at times.

 

[Guildedagain]

Wow. The F-15 of killing machines.

Are you missing yours?

 

[chazmo]

Yup. We have 'em in Maine. Nothing like a birdbath or bird feeder to keep a Cooper fat and sassy through the winter!

Last year our neighborhood had a pair of peregrin falcons. Wow. The F-15 of killing machines.

I think the Peregrines are protected too.

 

[chazmo]

We had a peregrine falcon on our front steps a few years back! Pretty amazing considering we're in a near inner city neighborhood! Lately our feeders have been attracting quite a few pigeons, fat and sassy prey for a falcon.

They nest in high rises, Brad. Very cool. But don't get me started on pigeons... not a fan. Let the falcons have 'em.

 

[Brad Little]

I think the Peregrines are protected too.

A number of years ago a couple of Wesleyan students got busted for stealing Peregrine eggs from their nesting site on the Arigoni Bridge over the Connecticut RIver.. IIRC, they didn't know what they were but wondered how they would taste. Peregrines also best on West Rock here in Hamden/New Haven.
Had to climb pretty high on this bridge:

 

[PreacherBob]

I think the Peregrines are protected too.

Second time I’ve come across that word today. Never heard of a Peregrine falcon before, but I just listed the 7SCE Peregrine in the online offering thread today, could that be where Guild got that model name from possibly?

 

[adorshki]

Second time I’ve come across that word today. Never heard of a Peregrine falcon before, but I just listed the 7SCE Peregrine in the online offering thread today, could that be where Guild got that model name from possibly?

Having been derived from the Nightbird/Songbird platform along with the Paloma ("Dove" in spanish), I doubt it.

 

[Stuball48]

When they dive or on their stoop, 200 mph is often reached and laser-like accuracy on prey.
Are there any Falconers who are members of LTG?

 

[chazmo]

Second time I’ve come across that word today. Never heard of a Peregrine falcon before, but I just listed the 7SCE Peregrine in the online offering thread today, could that be where Guild got that model name from possibly?

Oh, no doubt, Bob... Yeah, they are pretty majestic birds. At least that's what I always figured was the background for that name for the guitar.

 

[gjmalcyon]

When they dive or on their stoop, 200 mph is often reached and laser-like accuracy on prey.

The Audubon Society often learns about Peregrine falcons in New York City when they get reports about "exploding birds": A Peregrine falcon in a 200 mph stoop hitting a pigeon leaves an enormous cloud of feathers.

 

[Stuball48]

Veer:
C. J. Box is an author and in his books, my favorite character is Nate Romanowski - a falconer who lives off the grid. Language in the Joe Pickett series is true to the characters but 'X" rated.

 

[bobouz]

Found this vicious critter terrorizing the backyard feeders:

 

[krysh]

Met this guy when I was on Empire State Building after LMG2 in 2011:

 

[GGJaguar]

A different type of backyard visitor that we sometimes get.

 

[RBSinTo]

While most of the visitors to our yard are pretty ordinary ( Blue Jays, Cardinals, Sparrows, Wood Peckers, Finches, Doves, Starlings, Hummingbirds, Redwing Blackbirds, Orioles, Squirrels, Chipmunks, Rats(!!!), Skunks, and Raccoons), from time to time, small Hawks/ Falcons have swooped down and crashed the party. On the few occasions that I've witnessed these attacks which were silent and over in an instant, the predators were unsuccessful.
RBSinTo