Pigeon anyone?

I love pigeons, it's usually very hard for a red tailed to catch a healthy pigeon. Pigeons are incredibly fast, and have unbelievable tactics to escape predators

Great pics..love the evil look it's giving you in the first 2 shots!..

Yes I know nicholsworth !!! ....just don't get too close she says I've actually seen a red tailed ( maybe this same one) when perched on a fire escape 'attack' a window when someone appeared behind it

Redtails in Arizona have learned to raid pigeon nests for squabs. They go from palm tree to palm tree, carrying the squabs off to be lunch for baby redtails.

Probably pigeons will eventually learn or adopt some method on how to prevent such raids . Nature has amazing intelligence. The number of hawks has incredibly increased in NYC since they stopped using pesticides for rodents, they only use those ecological boxes now. I'm very fascinated by the red tailed. Some are so huge .

What a beautiful photo nicholsworth55. Thanx

what kind of hawk is that one ?

a neighbor said Cooper's but even though I've looked it up I'm not sure..

I was saying Cooper's, we have many of those too here in NYC, but they have a slimmer look, smaller head, than the one in the photo , and they wouldn't be interested in a squirrel, I think. .....looks like a red tailed by the shape, but without red

I just read that juvenile red tails have a striped tail until maturity..so maybe a young red tail?..also looks like a red shouldered (to me)..agree that this hawk is not slim..in person it's a pretty big bird..once it sat on a skylight and stared into the kitchen!..used to sit on cars (not ours they're garaged)..one landed on a branch near me to eat something and it dropped tiny bloody bits which landed on hosta leaves and slid down leaving bloody streaks..I kept weeding and didn't disturb it and when it flew away I got the watering can and rinsed off the hosta..thank goodness the bloody bits didn't hit me ugh..this is just as gross probably but one sat on a branch above me and I got bird poo in my hair and on the shoulder and back of my shirt..there was so much that I had to go in and take a shower..there's a nest in an oak next door so we've been up close and personal with hawks for 12 years now..my sister says because I'm out in the yard so much they "know" me and don't feel threatened..

Yes , thank you, there's such a variety of hawks, but the red tailed are the largest in size,

we also have falcons in the city, even the peregrine, but never had the chance to see one.

I see now the second part of your pos nicholsworth55, that somehow did not appear before. Certainly that hawks knows that she can "trust" you. I feed pigeons in the morning early, in several spots, and there was a Cooper's just following my moves! She would scare the pigeons, then pursue one of them . Coopers are much faster than red tailed. Only the first time the pigeons were caught by surprise, and the hawk pinned one down , but I could not watch that, and was able to free the pigeon, who flew off fast. The hawk will have other chances, not the pigeon..... I pray every day that this won't happen again in front of me. I'm fascinated by all animals, but have a hard time accepting that most feed on others.

Some red tailed will attack,people if threatened, I don't know about smaller hawks.

You have to realize (and you stated it) that the raptors have to try many times to catch one meal, thus wasting energy. In some cases that one meal may be all that stands in between the raptor not making it through a cold night.

I am not trying to tell you what to do, but consider letting nature take it's course.

I agree dbarron, I just hope it won't happen in front of my eyes. We have more and more raptors in the city, and yesterday evening there were some juvenile red tailed that had obviously a very hard time getting a meal Sometimes they wait until after dusk, when the rats come out. I'd feed the hawks too, if there were a way without the killing

can you tell from this pic what kind of hawk we have?..a little far away..

..fyi - I went back and added on to that previous comment..

....maybe another red tailed, from,the look , I'm not sure. I know they can differ in size and colors depending on age , males or females , females being usually much larger. Someone else more experienced could help ?

thanks......beautiful photo and environment

we really enjoy our wooded lot and the wildlife..a pic of the front last fall..

I really envy you ( in a good way) nicholsworth55. I mostly see buildings, unless I go upstairs on the sundeck. This is one of my rescued pigeons looking outside on a snowy day. In fact I have three here that survived the attack,of a hawk

amazing photo BTW, the colors etc

It's amazing to me that you have wildlife..living where you do..my favorite pic..owl in my backyard..it's my gardenweb cover photo..

Wow, very beautiful photo !! Where do you live ? Yes NYC has a lot of wildlife......and a lot of trash laying around, maybe that's why. Even seagulls come into the city in wintertime. And I've seen bald eagles heading to the river when it gets frozen upstate!!

we live in Indianapolis within walking distance of Eagle Creek Park..just looked this up..park covers 1400 acres of water and 3900 acres of land..so lots of wildlife close by..I've seen deer, coyotes, foxes, opossum, raccoons, moles, chipmunks, squirrels and a big variety of birds in my yard...took this from a family room window a few weeks ago..(didn't mean to take over your post haha..just thought you would like our wildlife)

Oh...NICE pileated woodpeckers...I seldom see those.

Thank you nicholsworth55 for the beautiful pictures, I had never seen that kind of birds!! If you have more photos of any wildlife, please share!

a nuthatcher and a red bellied woodpecker(dumb name in my opinion but that's what it is)

our spoiled rotten squirrels..4 piles because they don't share..some are so impatient they eat from the jar..once I bought shelled peanuts from a feed supply store instead of the dry roasted unsalted from the grocery store and I swear when I poured them out the squirrel gave me a look like "what the heck is this?"..was funny

Thank you! I will show these photos to a friend who just loves squirrels. Here too we have squirrels everywhere! In fact pigeons aldo love peanuts, and if a squirrel notices I'm giving them out ....well he really goes crazy

beautiful photos

Manhattan, Spanish Harlem, early morning

forgot to say we've also had bats!..not in the house but on the front porch..scroll back to the house pic..see how the porch ceiling is angled (area to the right of the 2 story section)..was hanging on the siding in the corner at the highest point..just took this pic from my kit window (glass makes it blurry)..cardinals are so pretty..

A few years ago I was woken up at night by a fluttering noise just to realize a bat had slipped in from a cracked window probably looking for warmth, and was now flying in perfect circles in my bedroom , I called 911, they put him first in a box , then free.

Yes! Cardinals are just a beauty. We have them in Central park, and the blue jays too. But cardinals are just something else

was great that 911 rescued the bat..Central park looks beautiful from what I've seen in movies etc..went to New York only once..and it was in the winter..didn't explore much..would like to visit again but my husband doesn't want too..lived there long?

I live in Manhattan since 1994, but I was born in Italy. Central park is a jewel. I'm very close to it, at the level of the reservoir. Well, if you ever visit let me know......there's alot to see here, even wildlife NY is really a special place.

in the photo one of my rescues . Hawk attack . He's well now

would LOVE to go to Italy..never been to Europe..Italy would be the top European destination for me..born in North Carolina..grew up in Indiana..we lived in CA for 5 years over 30 years ago and then back to Indiana..would like to move to SC or NC..the pigeon's emerald feathers are beautiful..so funny to think of a New Yorker seeing wildlife..

I was born and have family in Milano, also on,Lake of Como

wildlife in Central park

views of lake of Como

.....pigeon & hawk

pigeons know hawks are too slow reaching up above

Thanks for the pics..might be my only chance to see NY and Italy : ( ..hawks are nature's best stalkers..

You're very welcome! I have many more photos on some microcard, but who knows where it is.

yes, I was reading about red tailed hawks, they are opportunistic , they don't actively hunt , but mostly blend mimetically with the environment, watching , then catching the prey by surprise

ny water reservoir in Central park

reservoir

NYC squirrel

Those pictures are like postcards!..you obviously like nature and animals..don't think I would be happy without a bit of land..a fall pic taken standing in my side yard looking towards the back..

In fact as I said I envy you (in a good way) I miss real nature, woods, fields, real lakes...animals.... I miss having a garden or backyard your property looks really beautiful!

Thanks for the compliment..we've been here 12 years and have enjoyed living here..it's quiet and shady and hearing the birds sing makes me happy..will be very hard to duplicate if I ever move..maybe someday both of us will move..but for now both of us are doing fine : )

It's an amazing place you have, living in the heart of nature. One more photo: the frozen lake in Central Park North. It seems so empty and deserted, but if the camera pointed back, there's all buildings

just my opinion but without Central Park NYC would be a sad place..

yes, Central park and the many other parks make this city livable, otherwise the cement could be overwhelming , yet it gives shelter to so many kinds of birds, its unbelievable. Lots and lots of starlings for instance , besides sparrows, pigeons, seagulls ( in winter) ......hawks , and some falcons. They say two bald eagles nested in a park in the borough of Queens a couple of years ago