In the housing biz, we joke that the names of housing developments represent what the bulldozers removed – Willow Ridge, Quail Run, Babbling Brook. In this case, the high density high rise next door truly is a White Pine.
If you click to enlarge, you can see the penthouse a bit. It belongs to a pair of red-tailed hawks, who have recently given birth to a pair of downy fledglings. They are sharing the tree with nests of robins, mourning doves and at least three grackle nests. This causes a great deal of conflict. Noisy conflict, especially early in the morning.
Here is one of the penthouse residents. (Please click to enlarge. I just figure out how to do that after several years.) Thanks to my neighbor for the great photo. He climbed up on his roof to take it and is waiting to get some shots of the fledglings.
As often happens in high density housing, neighbors don’t always agree, and sometimes there are a few who are loud and obnoxious; ones who make life unpleasant for others. At White Pine Manor, it’s the grackles. They are driving me nuts. They squawk unpleasantly and constantly. They pester the red tail mother incessantly, until she flies away in search of food. Or perhaps some peace and quiet. The robins chase the grackles, the doves just wing whistle around and the goldfinches seem to ignore the whole show. I’m not sure where they nest. Sitting outside after dinner is like Wild Kingdom.
The red tails are birds of prey, are they not? –I don’t understand why the hawks don’t just lunch the grackles. If anyone has good ideas related to good riddance to grackles that don’t involve pellet guns, please let me know.
Fleegle recently described the results of sharing lurid fun fur yarn with her bird neighbors. I know it repels many knitters, perhaps there is a variety that would repel the grackles?
8 responses so far ↓
Chris // May 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm |
That is a great shot of the hawk! Hmm. I don’t understand why the hawks don’t take care of the grackle problem permanently, either.
Jocelyn // May 20, 2009 at 6:33 pm |
They definitely are birds of prey, but I’ve noticed that our red tails don’t nosh on any of the smaller birds that harass them around here either — and there are lots (mockingbirds, in our case, and very loud).
Carrie K // May 20, 2009 at 10:54 pm |
That is a great shot! Hmm, maybe they don’t find the grackles all that appetizing either?
gale (she shoots sheep shots) // May 21, 2009 at 12:16 am |
wow, those are amazing bird to have next door. You must want to just sit there and watch instead of doing, you know, stuff you’re supposed to.
Dave // May 21, 2009 at 1:14 am |
The grackles would probably love whatever fun fur you might give them; they’re not known for having good taste. Which might also explain why the hawks don’t eat them.
Helena // May 21, 2009 at 2:09 am |
That is an amazing photo of the hawk. We sometimes see them here, but they only visit.
Good luck with the Grackles. You’ll need it.
Melinda (aka Theblackersheep) // May 22, 2009 at 5:35 am |
Nice pictures! I tried Googling Grackles to see if there was anything you could do, but there are a dozen or so types. Wonder if there’s some sort of advantage the hawks get from having the Grackles around. Maybe it’s that Grackles eat bugs which would be harmful to hawks? Kind of like those fish that are helpful for sharks?
Miss T // June 1, 2009 at 2:07 pm |
Great hawk photo. I see them around my neighborhood now and then, but I’ve never gotten a picture.