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immature mice catchers

jodywy

Well-known member
They love fallowing the swather, the rake the baler and even the loader tractor removing the bales.
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Bootheel

Well-known member
Jody thats some good lookin' country, good picture takin'.
We usually get a mess of cattle egrets, hadn't seen a one all summer, they provide hours of entertainment as well. Thanks
 

George

Well-known member
The first time or two I watched the hawks carry a large rabbit or squirll up about 100" and drop them I thought the animal escaped but after watching the hawk catch it on the first bounce and no more strugling in the air I then realised on larger animals they use gravity to kill the meal!
 

burnt

Well-known member
Wow, those are a beautiful bird. We have the occasional hawk sitting on the fence or soaring up high watching for lunch when I'm cutting. Man do they drop like lightning when they spy a mouse.

I have never seen so many swallows gliding around the haybine and baler as this year. Just a mob of them catching bugs and butterflies, I guess. Last year we had no swallows since their main nesting area, the old barn, burned. But this year we have swallows in the new building again!
 

jodywy

Well-known member
George said:
The first time or two I watched the hawks carry a large rabbit or squirll up about 100" and drop them I thought the animal escaped but after watching the hawk catch it on the first bounce and no more strugling in the air I then realised on larger animals they use gravity to kill the meal!

watch a golden eagle drop a beaver , after it caught a up draft off a little hill. That bever was flopping hard took everything for that eagle to get high enough to drop it.
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
Excellent pics!!!! Thanks!

I too enjoy watching the Cara Caras and other birds of prey eating grasshoppers, mice, and whatever else the baler or bushog can rustle up.

There are a couple of big hawks here who really dominate the scene when I'm working with the tractor. Oh, and then there are the ever-present cattle egrets as well.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
I'm enjoying a nice little flock of hawks while I'm haying. must have been a good hatch this year. I remember one time while baling i was looking back and saw a mouse drop from the sky onto the twine box. I thought it might have been a intentional thank you for all the mice I was stirring up. :D
 

jodywy

Well-known member
Usually have a few burrowing owls that keep hopping each round back into the deep hay, always wondered why they didn’t fly off . Then it hit me, all those hawks the owls would be quick prey.
 

OldDog/NewTricks

Well-known member
Sold an 8 week old Aussie Pup to some friends $200
They said the next day they were teaching it to fallow in the pasture
You Guess it :!: :!:
$200 dollar Hawk Food
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
We have small flocks of sharptail grouse in the fields also, it is pretty hard to get them to fly when we reach the last few rounds cutting. They will crawl under a lot of windrows to reach cover at the edge of the field rather than make themselves a target for a hawk.
 

Clarencen

Well-known member
Are Them the Swanson Hawk? looks like they may be. Some have yellowish breasts, some rust colored ,some just speckles. I believe the swanson hawk has quite a time raising their young. If their nests are disturbed even a little they may abandon it. They must lay their eggs over a period of time, but start to brood right away as there are usually small birds of much different sizes, I doubt of the smaller ones survive, as they get all the food that is brought to them.
 

jodywy

Well-known member
think most are Swanson we do get some red tail, thought the ruffer legged one. Like watching American Kestrel earlier in the summer
 

Clarencen

Well-known member
I believe the Swanson Hawk migrates. We see them in the spring, Have always watched them when I disked, they look for the mice that are forced to find new homes. They are tough on baby jackrabbits too. Their broods are usually out of their nest by the time we cut alfalfa, but are not feathered and can not fly. This is when you see them feeding their young. The ones we see later may be families.

We see a few Red tails too, but I don't think they like open country. It seems you see them in the same places year after year. I think they like to be near wooded or brushy areas. The Northern Harrier can be seen here the year around. There also is a small black hawk that likes to stay in trees, we see it in the winter, I call it a pigeon hawk. I think it is a bird eater. Often it is seen flying with 2 or 3 birds following, maybe they are trying to harrass it or chase it away.
 

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