Mortal Combat in the Garden: Rattler Vs. Hawk

15 years ago

I came home from the fire station today after being away for several hours and found a "surprise" in my butterfly bed.

To set the scene: all the dogs were either in the house or garage when I got home, so I let them out into their dog yard. (I put them inside when I leave for a grassfire or wildfire so that they are safe if the fire makes it into our pasture.) They immediately began barking and carrying on. I rushed outside (on the outside of the dog yard too) and saw a dead bird, belly up, in the butterfly bed. I was really confused and kept asking myself how the dogs could have killed the bird outside the pen when they all were in the pen.

I walked closer to the "chicken" to see which one it was, and was more confused, because I could see the head of a venomous snake sticking up from the bird. The dogs were inside the pen but less than 8" or 10" from the snake barking their fool heads off. So, I brought all the dogs back into the house, or garage, depending on where they are allowed to go, and ran back outside to make sure the cats weren't getting close to the snake. (sigh)

I still hadn't grasped what had happened. The bird's breast was the color of a Buff Orpington or something and the feet were "wrong" but my brain still told me it was a guinea or a chicken. Afraid to leave the snake for fear it would get away, I called a neighbor (a firefighter!) and asked if he could come shoot the snake. He was several miles away but said he'd be right there. Then I called my DH to report something had killed one of "our" birds and he told me to keep my eye on that snake so it wouldn't get away and live to kill another "pet".

I stood watching the snake, still thinking it was most likely a copperhead (I could only see a little of it because most of it was underneath the bird) and that it had killed a Silver-laced Wyandotte or a Barred Rock.

Super Firefighter arrived with a gun and shot the snake. He and I both were puzzled about why the snake hadn't "fled". Then, he went to turn over the chicken so we could look at it...and it was a hawk!

So, here's what we think happened. The hawk must have swooped down to get the snake, and the snake somehow managed to strike the bird. Apparently the bird had the snake stuck under its body, or perhaps had hold of it with one talon (only one was sticking out where we could see it), so the snake couldn't flee from the barking dogs or from me. So, we had a trapped snake, a dead bird, and a confused woman.

All is well that ends well. All the chickens had already put themselves in their coop and the guineas were lying on the lawn watching the "drama" unfold as Super Firefighter arrived with his shotgun. Once he fired the gun, though, the guineas headed for another country. LOL

Have I ever mentioned that it is never dull around here? I'm still not sure why the snake didn't flee. I stayed 6 or 8 feet away and it easily could have slithered down the hill and into the woods. At one point, I took a step closer and it rattled at me....and I was so confused at that point that I said to myself "why is that copperhead rattling at me?" (Well, you know, I was really tired and it isn't every day you see a dead bird/snake combo hanging out in the butterfly garden.) I did notice the snake's head was puffed up really huge....and I've never seen that before.

All in all, I am just relieved that the dogs and cats stayed out of it, all the poultry were safe, and (thank the Lord) I didn't try to pick up/dispose of the bird carcass and get bitten by the rattler.

It is too early for the snakes to be up and out, but with temps in the 80s recently, who can blame them?

I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, every day here at our place is either a circus or a zoo, and I never know which one it is going to be.

Dawn

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Comments (13)

strangepeeps
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That is an interesting story!!! The snakes must be coming out of their holes early this year, like every thing else, so much depends on the weather. Thanks for sharing, glad no humans or pets were harmed.
Nancy Fryhover
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Aw, I feel sad for the hawk...but better he than you or one of your doggies.
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seedmama
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great story! I was out and about yesterday and saw snake holes. I agree it's early. And I'm glad you're safe!
rjj1
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Cool Story!

I'm beginning to wonder if a last freeze is around the corner or not going to happen at all. Had toads out on the drive under the security light last night catching moths and such. It's way too early for that.

randy
owiebrain
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Egads, how I hate snakes! Yeah, part of the nature chain, don't bother them and they won't bother me, and all of that. But I still hate snakes! *shudder* It wouldn't be so bad if they'd just wear some sort of flashing neon sign that I could see from 1/2 mile away, specifying if they're poisonous or not. Silly Mother Nature.

Glad you and your critters weren't hurt, Dawn!
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Y'all, if I never again see the puffed-up head of a venomous snake staring at me from a feathered fowl lying dead on the ground, that will be OK with me. You just don't know how close I came to that bird...and was bending over and reaching down to pick it up to dispose of it....before I saw the snake! I learned a lesson that is a good one for anyone out in a rural area.....don't attempt to dispose of a wild critter until you make sure it isn't harboring
another wild thing.

I also learned long ago that it is better to whip out the cell phone and call someone nearby to either come shoot the thing, or to at least stand and watch it for me while I go for a gun, because if you go inside to get the gun, that snake is going to disappear and you'll have to worry about it popping up and getting a pet or person some other day.

I felt kind of bad for both of them.....the snake, after all, was only defending itself, and the hawk was just looking for a meal.

None of our neighbors have ever seen a snake get a hawk, although plenty have seen hawks scoop down and pick up snakes.

Around here, if you are firing a shotgun, you have to let everyone around you know why so they won't be worried that you are "in trouble" and need help. All our neighbors said they hadn't thought the snakes were up yet, so appreciated the warning....especially those with grandchildren or great-grandchildren visiting for spring break.

Randy, I am starting to wonder myself. It is so darn warm here and all the critters are out and about--especially the frogs, toads and grasshoppers. My guineas are wearing themselves out chasing grasshoppers all day. They "collapse" on the lawn at 3 or 4 p.m. every day, fat and full of hoppers, and too tired to move.

If the ten-day forecast looks good on Sunday, I may start planting warm-season crops, including tomatoes. Our air temps and soil temps are great here right now. I think it could be that this is our "one year in ten" that the weather cuts us a break!

It is cool, cloudy and overcast here today, although those conditions are aggravated by the extreme smoke in the air. (County commissioners lifted the burn ban and everyone is burning brush piles, field stubble, etc. and our air is positively filthy with smoke and ash.) We're supposed to get rain, but it seems to be staying east of us.

Dawn
rjj1
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dawn,

They just dropped the low for the 28th to 36 degrees. Looks like I got a freeze coming for sure if they stick to that.

randy
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Randy

Well, that just figures. LOL

After I read about your low dropping to 36 , I went to weather.com and looked at my 10-day forecast and it shows 39 on the 28th, so I guess I'll behave myself and refrain from planting warm-season crops until at least the 29th. : ) In our low-lying microclimate, 39 probably means 34 anyway if the sky is clear and the wind is light to nonexistent.

I sure hope it stays warmish. We have a lot of really small plums on the trees that bloomed way too early and I am hoping it stays warm enough that we don't lose them.

I did carry out six flats of tomato seedlings to harden off today and I have no intention of carrying them back into the house if I can avoid it. At night, I'll just drag the tables into the garage and hope that the 3 dogs who sleep in the garage don't decide to eat tomato plants. (It hasn't happened yet, but the 130-lb Rottweiler-Terrier mix named Duke does love to eat tomatoes!)

Dawn
rjj1
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dawn,

Did you call The Dept. of Wildlife or a law enforcement agency to remove the Hawk? Did you know by law you can't touch it (if I read the law correctly)? The feathers are protected by Federal Law.

randy
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Randy,

Oops, no, didn't call anyone. Didn't know I should.

I did call Wildlife once seeking help for an injured owl, but they really didn't care. Appararently I was the only one who thought an injured owl should be helped and saved. On the other hand, we found an injured fawn on the property once and the Wildlife guy did come ASAP once we called and he took it to be rehabbed.

The gentleman who shot the snake removed the hawk from the butterfly bed. I guess we could have left it there for the predators to find? I know you aren't supposed to shoot them (the snake took care of that issue himself), but didn't know they otherwise required special handling.

I guess I'll have to file that info away for future reference, although I hope I never find a dead one in the yard again--especially if it is harboring the body of a rattler.

The vultures are circling, so they know something happened here.

Dawn
lifesblessings
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
30 years ago at a farm auction I bought an "antique snake catcher" - that old rusty thing has saved me from the hospital more times than I can count! But then there was the time I caught the 5 foot rattlesnake at the back door and tried to walk to get a shovel with him wrapped around my body and his rattle in my face... Took me a week to get over that one! Mostly I get copperheads. I love snakes! It breaks my heart to kill even a poisonous one, but if they are up by the house, you really don't have a choice. Last fall I had to kill a mated pair of copperheads snuggled in my woodpile. They're so pretty! One bit my dog in next to the door a couple of years ago, she lived but she's never been the same since. Saw a dead snake in the road Monday. Rescued a frog yesterday (warm enough to come out but too confused to hop). I'm sure we'll get one more snow.
devilwoman
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
No, Dawn, you're not the only one who would think an injured owl should be helped. Rondi Large of WildCare would agree with you wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, Noble, Oklahoma, would be a very long drive for you. If it happens again, though, you might contact her to see if she knows anyone in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: WildCare Foundation
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Debra, We did rehab the owl ourself. He had flown through the transluscent fiberglass panel (sort of like a skylight) on the roof of the original chicken coop and cut his head and broke his wing. We replaced that fiberglass panel with sheet metal after that for fear it would happen again.

We put him in the turkey coop and moved the turkeys in with the chickens. The chickens and turkeys weren't happy about having an owl just a few feet away from them, but they survived. After about two weeks of eating canned cat food and dog food, his wing had healed enough to fly and he left us.

I'll keep the WildCare Foundation in mind if we ever have another wild thing that needs to be rehabbed. (We did bottle-raise a tiny baby squirrel once after it lost its mama in a very severe thunderstorm. He lived with us for about 3 months and then, gradually and over a period of time, returned to the woods to live his normal life. At first he'd go off for a few minutes, then a few hours, then a few days, and finally he left for good.) We've also rescued baby bunnies from the cats and raised them. Sometimes it seems like we are our own wildlife sanctuary. : )

Thanks for the link to the WildCare Foundation.

Dawn

Mortal Combat in the Garden: Rattler Vs. Hawk

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