For those of you who count feeder birds...

[Mr. E]

...if a hawk comes swooping through and tries to feed on the feeder birds, do you count it?:D

Semi serious...I have had a sharpshinned swoop through many times and I counted it! I have never been able to photograph it, but it is amazing to watch...flying straight in towrds birds on the ground, swipes at them, feathers fly, it does a quick 180 around the tree and back out! It really is amazing to see from 5 feet away! Though, as far as I can tell, it never made the catch...

[Methodical]

Yeah I agree it is amazing to see. I saw a hawk catch a bird when I was in Florida back in February. I got some pictures with my P&S (not the best quality but decent) since I didn't have my other equipment. I watch it stalk the bird. Man that was cool. The bird didn't stand a chance in.... It even sat about 15' from me plucking the feathers while I took pictures. I wish I could've video taped it.

[gymell]

Of course it's a feeder bird! Here's mine:

http://www.pbase.com/gymell/image/91612126/original.jpg

[jgrussell]

Great shot, Liz! I got a somewhat similar shot but not at the feeders -- out on the ice in a nearby park:

http://photos.jgrussell.com/photos/465243502_hTzvs-L.jpg

[davebreal]

i got lots of sparrows, bluejays, grackles, and finches at my house, but hawks haven't caught on yet... don't know if i'm lucky or unlucky yet...

great shots liz + jgr

[gymell]

Great shot, Liz! I got a somewhat similar shot but not at the feeders -- out on the ice in a nearby park:



Nice one - of course you've got a red-tailed hawk there. Definitely not a feeder bird. ;)

[jgrussell]

Nice one - of course you've got a red-tailed hawk there. Definitely not a feeder bird. ;)If it swoops past my feeders, I'm gonna count it though!!

[snowyowl13]

Nice shots. I count whatever stops by.

[Methodical]

Nice shots. I count whatever stops by.


Me too.

I've had them stop by a few times and I finally got a shot of it. Just the other day one came speeding thru and those little birds high tailed out of there faster than I'd ever seen before. So they know the feeders are there.

[gymell]

If it swoops past my feeders, I'm gonna count it though!!

Hey so would I! I'm just saying it's not likely because RT hawks don't hang out around feeders like accipiters do.

[jgrussell]

Hey so would I! I'm just saying it's not likely because RT hawks don't hang out around feeders like accipiters do.That's fair enough!

[snowyowl13]

I've had both Northern Goshawk and Gyrfalcon visit the feeders, obviously looking for prey not seed. I didn't get good shots of either.

[gymell]

Goshawk and gyrfalcon as feeder birds? Now I'm really jealous!