One day last week I stepped out on the deck and all of a sudden heard something hit the ground with a thud on the other side of our picnic table ! Walked around to look and of course I did not have my glasses on, I saw what I thought was one of our ring neck doves on the ground ! Started toward it and all of a sudden it took off,, flew about 20 feet and hit the ground again ! Then it flew again to the other side of the garden fence and went down again ! As I was getting closer I saw the doves wings but behind it was something else ! Was looking at 4 wings but couldn`t see what was going on ! As I got closer it took off,, flew about 10 feet high and all of a sudden it split in two with one going west and one went east ! Finally saw the bands on the tail of the east bound bird and recognized it as a sparrow hawk or as we know them chicken hawks ! It had tried to catch one of the ring neck doves but the dove was as big if not a little bigger than it was and he couldn`t fly with it ! I figured the last time he tried to take off he must have tried to get a better grip and the dove saw his chance to escape,,and did ! Having to keep a good watch on the tree tops now !
Mart, we have hawks, but none big enough or brave enough to tackle a ringneck! Our Redtail hawks and Coopers hawks go for the voles, mice, and other small vermin in the field. Our large hens could wrestle a hawk to the ground and make him beg for forgiveness!
mart I love the ring doves such peaceful birds and graceful to watch..i am pleased it managed to escape...what we have here is the crows taking down birds...this winter so far one magpie and a black bird and their wings span like a cloak.
Crows do not bother the birds here ! Lord knows there is enough to eat without bothering them ! MG,, I have no idea what this small hawk was thinking,, If the dove had a fair advantage he would have taken that Hawk down ! We have plenty of gophers and moles for them to hunt !
Crows here are a nightmare and mainly attack others when they've had young plus magpies do it and those are a plain nightmare in your garden and the things they get up to...pigeons used to try and attack the ring doves but bless them the one got brave and showed it's true colours now they come on our garden and don't give a damn about other birds as long as they're left alone.
