Calamity Kris Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 There is a large grassy area in front of my office building. In the early morning hours, you will frequently find Cottontail rabbits munching away on the lawn. This morning was no exception, however I spied a Red Tailed Hawk sitting on top of the building watching and waiting. A person walking down the sidewalk behind me paused to watch the rabbits eat. Suddenly, the hawk swooped down from the building towards a cluster of rabbits. My footsteps spooked the rabbits and they scattered just as the hawk was arriving on the scene. The person behind me exclaimed “Those poor bunnies, being hunted by the hawk. How awful”. I thought, but didn’t say aloud, “D*mn! Missed breakfast again…..” It’s all a matter of perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Yep, it's perspective. The person watched too much Bambi growing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holden A. Grudge Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Hawk's gotta eat, same as bunnies. Heck he'd probably be savin them bunnies as who knows what has been sprayed on the grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Probably gets his meat from a market so no little animals are killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steeldust Dan, SASS #2631Life Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Probably gets his meat from a market so no little animals are killed. I've been substitute teaching full-time for several months now. For the past four weeks I've been in a 7th Grade science class while the regular teacher is on maternity leave. One of the recent assignments was for the students to draw a food chain. One student turned in a drawing of herself with and arrow coming from a Walmart store. I kid you not! At first I thought she was being a smart***, but upon questioning, she really did believe her food originated in the Walmart. Perspective, and then there's "no clue." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angus McPherson Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Like a lot of folks we have a bird feeder in which we put bird seed for the song birds. Well, a couple of years ago we had a hawk that would hang around in our back yard (3+ acres)and occassionaly snatch a bird at that "feeder". That kinda put a new slant on the whole "bird feeder" thing for a while. Angus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Yeah, it's kinda funny how the bird feeder folks, who claim to love birds, do everything they can to keep sharp-shinned hawks away. Although it was OK for Pale Male to eat pigeons in New York City. Like you said, all in perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holden A. Grudge Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I could use some of those hawks around my place. Always see them picking off mice around the highway. I have had to evict a family of starlings from the house twice now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Yer right, perspective is everything. As in the old question: "Why does the rabbit run faster than the fox?" "Because the fox is running for its dinner, and the rabbit is running for its life." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Update: The person sympathetic to the plight of the bunnies brought in a baggie full of carrots this morning and was feeding them to the bunnies. They were very proud of doing so. What I don't think they realize is they are causing them to loose their fear of humans, thereby making them more of a target for the Hawk. Oh well, bunnies multiply............like rabbits. The Hawk's gotta eat too ya know........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Rabbits like carrots: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Where my wife used to live they had a mouse problem so she and her mom bought a Have a Heart trap. They caught one mouse and took it out into the field next to the house. Opened the door to the trap, mouse ran out, running straight for about 10 feet. ZAP! A hawk took it. After that they went to the common spring traps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I like hawks. GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Scatterbrain Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I like hawks. GG They taste like chicken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Unlike many people who have adopted eagles, my personal "totem" is the red-tailed hawk. I just love to watch them on the hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Last year a pair built a nest at the very top of one of the trees on my property. The easy grace of the way they'd soar catching the currents was really something to see. Then watching the hatchlings taking their first tentative flights while mom & dad supervised, flying in a loose formation to guide the young'uns ... first class parenting. I had no problems with mice either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Update II Hawk 1 Bunnies -1 The hawk had already made his catch as I was coming around the corner to the building. I was alone this morning so I didn't have any commentary to go with the action already in progress. He was struggling to pick it up and take off with it. I didn't stick around to watch but I'm sure he was successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker, SASS #55963 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 a bunny not eaten today can be eaten tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 a bunny not eaten today can be eaten tomorrow! True, as long as the hawk got it off the ground. I can't imagine maintenance leaving the bunny carcass on the grass for the hawk. The sidewalk is a high traffic area and there would be howls of complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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