Yup that's what I now have around my yard. We use to have as many as 25 or 30 pine siskins, many cardinals, morning doves, chickadees, nuthatch's, woodpeckers galore at our feeders. But then he showed up. A Coopers hawk! He stops by at least 2 times a day to see if he can pick off a bird at our feeders. He is so bold that he will land on top of the one feeder and sit there and look around to see if lunch is being served. He is such a neat looking hawk. But my poor birds do not think he is so nice to have around. I read an article on them and found out that they are major bird eaters. They are one reason why the Sparrow hawks are in decline. They eat them too. Hopefully he is only passing threw and will move on soon. One thing that is good in the whole situation. My bird feed cost has really dropped off. But I feel so sorry for my terrified little birds.
Our Sparrowhawk does exactly the same as your Coopers Tooty. Now I tend to work in the garden or simply stand around for a while outdoors which keeps him away. Not the best solution but at least the little birds can eat in peace while I'm out there.
I know a guy that has banded the coopers around here for years and he says that they know every feeding station in the area. I don't think they are just passing through. It is also dangerous to frighten them away as any bird hiding may fly out also. My wife saw one on our deck. As it scattered the birds a varied thrush hit the window. She didn't want to look at it till I got home so she went out with a cloth to cover it up, before she dropped the cloth the hawk picked it up right in front of her.
Tooty, that is a shame! We have hawks here also--redtailed and cooper's--but they don't bother the birds at our two feeders. We have our feeders near trees--a deciduous gum bumelia and an evergreen ashe juniper, and at the first sign of a hawk, all the feeding birds go into the trees for safety. An ornithologist friend of ours said that hawks don't try to get prey in trees because the hawk's wingspread is so wide that it cannot fly well among branches. If you can provide a hiding place near your feeders, it may help.
Eileen I would do that except the weather is not conducive to spending longer periods out doors. Burrrr. I do go up to the window and make my presence known that way. Not sure if that helps or not. Kildale I'm sure he does. Are next door neighbor does feed the birds also. I asked if they had seen him around. They said no. But they do not watch their feeders like I watch mine. Our birds are great entertainment. The Cooper landed on our feeder the other day so I walked up to the window. It flew off in the direction of their house. Marlin we also have Red tails here. They never bother with our feeders. This is the first time we have had a Cooper's hawk around here in the 7yrs that we have lived out here. I guess in our area they are rather uncommon. But not anymore. They are the only hawk that has a dark cap on top of their heads. Thats what was so interesting the first time I saw him. We do have our feeders near several fir trees and some cedar clumps near it also. But that scoundrel will go in after the poor little critters and chase them out so he can get a meal. He sits up high and watches the feeders. Then swoops in to scare the birds and grabs one on the fly. I was watching him after he had landed on top of our feeder which is only 5ft from the front bay window. I was doing the dishes when he came swooping in. Then he went after the ones that were hiding in the fir right next to the window. He is a very determined bird.
I have the same problem here. A few years ago I started seeing a Coopers Hawk around the yard, and he now appears every winter. I have on occasion gone outside to scare it away, and my little birds seem to know that I am not the enemy and sit tight. But I can not always be out there on guard and on occasion have found feathers in a pile, remains of one of my feathered friends. I now move the feeders during the winter so my birds have more protection from the porch and shrubs.
If the Hawk does not like people, I wonder if it would stay away from a 'scarecrow/hawk? it may be worth a try. How about rubber/fake birds? After a few maybe the hawk will move. Jerry
Thank Jerry for the great ideas. I was thinking of putting out our scarecrow I had used for the crows this past year. I will make a trip down to the barn and get Barney out. Hopefully he will make a difference. I'll let you know.
Sorry that is happening to your yard...I have had the problem for years and it seems to be getting worse, not better. I think we have more than one Coopers Hawk and we have had eagles over head so that puts a damper on things. I do have my cairn terrier Scooter trained when I open the door and tell him , get the hawk or get the crows. Of course he is a little guy and is mostly bark and he couldn't reach the birds anyway but he likes to try and scare them off. I tell him good boy and he seems happy with himself.
Sherry for years you say. Yikes I hope not that long for the birds sake. I haven't seen the Coopers hawk for sometime now. But I still think he is visiting our yard at times because the birds do their disappearing act. I did put out my scarecrow by a tree close to my feeder. The only thing it has scared is the crows. It has worked to keep them away from my suet feeder. Last week I had to take down my wood bird feeders as I was again having problems with salmonella infecting and killing the Red polls, pine siskins, and the white-winged cross bills that have just shown up in the last 3 wks. I have been feeding the birds on the ground and do have one hanging plastic feeder which I sanitized. I am switching over to all plastic feeders. It is so sad to see those little birds dropping over dead.
Birds dying? Poor birds :-( I do not have wooden feeders anymore. I use to make large sunflower feeders from wood and acrylic sheets. Reminds me of the hungry cardinal story. Salmonella? You took a culture? Was it pink? Jerry
Jerry I didn't take any of the dead birds in to see if it was salmonella for sure. But I did call our nature center and ask what the symptoms where in birds. After I described what was happening to the birds they said it was some strain of salmonella. I guess there are several that can effect birds and other wild life. I am very careful not to handle the birds without gloves. So now I am going to switch over to all acrylic feeders. That way I can sanitize them every other week. I feel so sorry for those little birds who get it. They literally starve to death.
