| Author | Message | |||
     Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5651 Registered: 4-1997  |
Saw a huge hawk yesterday resting on the ground (probably on top of a mouse he just nabbed). Only about 10' away from me. Might have been a red-tailed hawk. Are they common to the area? Looked like this http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/type-pic.jpg | |||
| mjc Citizen Username: Mjc Post Number: 387 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yes, aren't they great? I see them overhead at noontime in SO Village and in/around Meadowlands Park (or whatever it's called, the park Floods Hill is part of), usually east of Mead St. | |||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 5203 Registered: 5-2001 |
Yes, I saw one on my neighbors lawn a few weeks ago. | |||
| Lydia Supporter Username: Lydial Post Number: 1004 Registered: 5-2001 |
I LOVE the hawks - you're lucky to see one up close, I've been birdwatching all winter and I still haven't seen a hawk closer than 30 feet. I was walking in SO the last few weekends and I saw a blue heron twice. I think I found her nest. There are definitely some cool birds around the area. | |||
| Duncan Supporter Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 3986 Registered: 12-2001  |
I saw one perched in a tree, 10' off the ground this winter on Kendal. Big majestic son of a gun. Handsome and lethal. Gotta love Raptors. | |||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 407 Registered: 12-2004  |
Fantastic birds, aren't they? My absolute favorite. I often see them circling overhead around town, but have never had the pleasure of a personal visit. Lord knows, I've got enough squirrels in the backyard to keep a small family of hawks well fed! Dave, yes, red tail are common to the area, but I'm not sure your picture is a redtail. Check out this guy:  Photo courtesy of Lincoln Karim at palemale.com Check out more about him at www.palemale.com. He's a legend in NYC and all over the world, with quite a loyal following. He has his own PBS documentary and a book written about him. He and his mate, Lola, are currently incubating eggs in their nest on a building on 5th Avenue. Gorgeous, isn't he? | |||
| Soda Supporter Username: Soda Post Number: 2716 Registered: 5-2001  |
I'd agree with the previous post. Red Tails aren't usually referred to as "huge", although the above photo certainly is a biggie. -s. BTW: Dave, I just tried to search for the MOL threads dealing with Pale Male, and came up dry. Could you possibly supply a link for those of us who'd like to get reaquainted with those famous 5th Avenue raptors? Thanks!  | |||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 1941 Registered: 5-2001 |
30 feet IS close for hawks. | |||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5654 Registered: 4-1997 |
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| monster Supporter Username: Monster Post Number: 661 Registered: 7-2002  |
I've got one that I see all the time, I posted here last year about how it had caught the squirrel I called "Rocky", right in my backyard. It sat there on my stone wall in the backyard as "Rocky" died in it's talons, wings spread, hopping up and down as it kept control, it was beautiful, but I do miss "Rocky", and I hate squirrel's. Judging from the look of the hawk, I think it was a "Red Shouldered" instead of a "Red Tail". There is a huge empty circular spot, surrounded by tree's out behind my house, it's behind the houses along Boyden (betweeen Garfield and Irvington), the houses have real deep yards, and behind them is the rest home. | |||
| thegoodsgt Citizen Username: Thegoodsgt Post Number: 775 Registered: 2-2002  |
I saw one, too. I'm hoping he gets these damn field mice I see from time to time! | |||
| Waxwings Supporter Username: Waxwings Post Number: 18 Registered: 4-2004 |
Being a life-long "birder", I've watched the Redtailed Hawk's gradual successes in adapting to urban and suburban habitats over the last 10 or so years. In a way, it is an example of of Darwin's theory of evolution in action - that is; basically, either adapt or gradually become extinct. One of the things among several that has helped the Redtails succeed in nesting and breeding in these urban and suburban areas has been the dramatic decline of crows due to the West Nile Virus that has reduced their numbers by more than 2/3rds. While the crows are no match in actual combat against Redtails, their sheer numbers and "ganging up" defensive strategy in harrassing Hawks and Owls had previously been quite effective in preventing the raptors from establishing favorable nesting places. Now, it seems the crow numbers have been steadily rising again; perhaps the remaining ones have developed an immunity to the West Nile Virus? We shall see. Besides the Turkey Vulture, the Redtailed Hawk (a Buteo) is one of a very few raptors that have adapted to the urban and suburban -ization of what was once wilderness. The Peregrine Falcon, which has steadily recovered from near extinction due to the effects of DDT, has also been able to successfully nest and hunt from skyscrapers and bridges. Two smaller hawks in the accipiter genus, the Sharp-shinned and the Cooper's have gained some extra winter suburban food larders by way of the many bird feeders that suburbanites have in their yards - not from the seeds and other types of food in the feeders, but from the birds who feed at them. Accipiters are generally deep woods raptors, quite different from the larger buteos that soar and sail. The Accipters hunt by stealth and comparitively much faster and maneueverable flight. They too seem to be adapting in their hunting locations, but I've not seen evidence that they have established nests nor have successfully bred in developed areas. As encouraging as the Redtail's and few other raptor species successes in adapting has been, there are many, many other species of raptors (and songbirds) that are rapidly declining because their behavior characteristics, habitats and foods are specialized and cannot be changed to accommodate the un-ending developement of wildernesses and farm lands. Speaking for myself, it's really time to think seriously about putting a halt to developemnt in NJ. | |||
| mtierney Citizen Username: Mtierney Post Number: 797 Registered: 3-2001 |
Back in January I posted this: "This afternoon a hawk (either a Cooper or Sharp Shinned) sat on a branch within three feet of a window! He/she devoured a small prey with great gusto until every morsel was gone. The bird then carefully groomed its feet to make sure no bits and pieces remained! I don't like to think what was lunch, but from what I've read it would be a bird or small animal. It looked dark grey like a mouse, but I'm worried there may be one less tufted titmouse at my bird feeder tomorrow. " Haven't seen him/her since, but I notice that the number of birds at the feeder has dropped dramatically recently - maybe the birds see the hawk! I have been following the pale male story on that website since the nest was rebuilt (took three different architectural firms to do the job  ). I've enjoyed reading the comments from the Central Park birders and the daily pictures have been breathtaking. We all know for sure that Pale Male and Lola have had at it on many many occasions! The birds have no shame and the birders break out into aplause at appropriate times. Indications are that there may be eggs in the nest. | |||
| Soda Supporter Username: Soda Post Number: 2718 Registered: 5-2001 |
No wonder he's pale! | |||
| musicme Citizen Username: Musicme Post Number: 1021 Registered: 5-2001  |
Standing in the parking lot across from Gleason's on Saturday morning, 3 of those green parrots buzzed over head! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. | |||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 2144 Registered: 3-2004 |
On the way to work this morning: 1 redtailed hawk 2 cardinals several woodpeckers (of the black and white variety) and a whole gaggle of turkey, some with fanning tailfeathers. Spring is here. | |||
| redY67 Citizen Username: Redy67 Post Number: 776 Registered: 2-2003  |
Boy, I thought this was going to be a post about Hawk's Tavern!!! | |||
| Hank Zona Supporter Username: Hankzona Post Number: 2214 Registered: 3-2002 |
I thought it was a Soapbox-oriented war-related thread from the title. Last winter I walked into my living room, which is higher than ground level, and stood at the side window and watched a hawk dismantling a squirrel (doubly delightful to see) while perched in a tree branch just a couple feet from my view, separated only by the glass. It was a remarkable looking bird, and seemed oblivious to me. I slowly walked away to get the kids to see it, and just as we walked back in the room, it took off for the golf course...but the sight of those wings taking off was an amazing thing to see too. | |||
| Mark Fuhrman Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 1453 Registered: 9-2001  |
When I moved here from Massachussetts, I was blown away by the amount of raptors in New Jersey. We see lots of hawks around here, especially along Route 24 (saw at least three yesterday while going up to Morristown). There is a beautiful Blue Heron who sometimes wades in the brook in front of the Fire Station in Maplewood. The other night, while walking my dog, the Heron lifted up into the black night, a shiny shadow gracefully cutting through the trees. My dog, of course, is a big fan now and can't wait to go bird watching there when I take him for a walk. He thinks it is the biggest duck ever known to man or dog. | |||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5937 Registered: 1-2003  |
Not to mention all the vultures we have here! They are quite social creatures. We had nine regular vultures hanging out at Bell Labs in Holmdel. They stood around right outside the first floor. I saw a pair kissing each other! I used to mistake flying vultures with hawks. Vultures have those "loose" feathers at their wing tips. |
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