Its sounds like you probably have a pair of Red tails and probably a sharpie or Coopers Hawk. In general, Hawks don't prey on other healthy adult Hawks. Larger Hawks will attack the nests of smaller hawks. About the only exception is probably a large Goshawk would have smaller Hawks on the menu and be able to catch them. But in your case, a Red tail trying to catch a Sharpie is like a Suburban trying to catch a Corvette. In one of the few studies I've seen, the highest Sharpie mortality was from owl predation, which leads them to roost in dense cover. Your probably just seeing an increase in raptor activity as Hawks begin pairing up and will start nesting in a few weeks.

Hi Jane! It's been my pleasure (really!) since I enjoy testing my raptor ID skills when I am unable to get outside and do it for real (either due to schedule limitations or birds not cooperating). Raptor ID is something I've been working on for a year or two now; only recently did I become any good at it. Hawks used to look all the same to me. I claimed to love them but I knew so little about them. I had to learn to notice the fine details and become adept at pointing them out quickly. Sometimes a glimpse is all you get. I believe those two guides you purchased will serve you (or anyone) well. The general Eastern guide is a great visual tool but Crossley doesn't have the space on each page to really break down the field marks that make each species unique. His raptor guide will probably be better for that, but I had to purchase Hawks in Flight to REALLY get into the details of real-time ID. Perched birds are easy to master; soaring hawks requires a lot of practice. I have also used online articles (American Birding Association/ Jerry Liguori) to learn new things, especially concerning the amazing diversity of Red-tailed Hawks. I have also learned a lot from experienced birders. I still have a ton to learn so I lurk forums such as these. Gives me an excuse to read a little more about IDing raptors. I have another tip that has helped me TREMENDOUSLY when IDing raptors (birds in general). Always weed out the unlikely/impossible species first. Check: - Location/range (you'll not likely find a Swainson's Hawk in New England unless during spring/fall migration) - Season (Broad-winged Hawks are in s. America during the winter) - Behavior (Northern Goshawks are notoriously elusive forest hawks and are the least likely Accipiter at a bird feeder). Rule out what it ISN'T and you'll likely have a much narrower list of what it could be. After that it comes down to field marks, shape, flying style, etc. If you are lucky enough to hear the hawk's call, then you are well on your way. Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds has recordings of bird sounds and it's a great reference. I'm sure I left a million things out but that's mostly what I wanted to say. This post was edited by TMFF on Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 17:15

I've seen on other threads that some people have suggested to stop feeding the other birds and other little critters in the area and the hawks will move as the others move off due to lack of food. We don't feed the local wildlife, of which there is usually very little. Is there something that will just annoy the hawks into wanting to relocate? We're not, by bird standards, terribly far from the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, 20 miles or so. And the Adirondacks are only 150 miles away. Could we gently nudge them in that direction? Another thing, one of my co-workers thought the bird still might be migrating north, that this is just a stop over on its way home. Is this likely in Upstate New York this time of year (it's still very cold, we had snow last night), or is the bird here to stay? Most of my neighbors in the eight square blocks on this side of town also have small dogs, so we are all concerned. We are in hope that the big birds in question haven't found a new home here with our pets on the menu.

I have a pocket of oak trees in my front yard that is home to many creatures. We had a hawk in our tree one year and that bird was such a messy, wasteful eater- dead birds and squirrels everywhere. I put up an eagle decoy and moved it around but it didn’t do much. The hawks moved to the neighbor across the street the next year. And then to the neighbor next door after that. IDK if it’s the same bird or maybe there’s more than one bird/family. They do flybys and hunt in my yard but they dont live in it anymore. I thoroughly enjoy watching this little microcosm of forest life...most times. The kids were yelling one day to come look at the window. A heron was in my little backyard pond and was eating my fish like it was a buffet.