Hi Roger
I have observed this behavior several times over the years with
red-shouldered hawks. 4 or 5 years ago we had red-shoulders nest in a dead
red oak in our backyard. We live in a wooded subdivision in Chesterfield
County. Lots of oak trees so lots of grey squirrels. The entire time they
were there, not once did I see one of the adult red-shoulders try for a grey
squirrel. However, the chipmunk, vole, mole, mouse, green frog, leopard
frog and flying squirrel populations went to almost 0. Three out of the four
young red-shoulders fledged. The young hawks all tried to capture grey
squirrels. I did not see any of them be successful. I did see one of the
young hawks actually get a squirrel in its talons. The squirrel bit the
hawk on the foot and the hawk ended up the looser. The squirrel was under
one of our birdfeeders 5 minutes later, eating sunflower seeds. The hawk
sat in oak tree, on one foot, for a long time before it finally flew off.
There is a small stream which flows in to a pond that is adjacent to our
property. Red-shoulders like to set on branches which hang over the stream.
I see one there every few weeks. They drop down and catch frogs and
crayfish. Several times I have seen grey squirrels approach the hawks, on
the same branch with tails raised and flicking. The hawk always flies off.
All of this leads me to believe that red-shoulders have a hard time taking
an adult healthy grey squirrel, so they leave them alone most of the time.
All hawks are opportunistic hunters so I'm sure red-shoulders would take the
young, old and the sick.
Something else I have observed, if a red-shoulder flies over the squirrels
look up and go about their business. But if a red-tailed flies over all the
squirrels disappear. I've seen this behavior recently and years ago at my
mother's home in Prince George County.
John Dewell
Chesterfield Co.
_____
From: va-bird-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:va-bird-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Roger Mayhorn
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 10:14 PM
To: Birding Virginia
Subject: [Va-bird] Rusty Blackbirds and Red-shouldered Behavior
Hi All,
Yesterday two Rusty Blackbirds were feeding here in our yard on Compton Mt.
Today the number had grown to seven.
At one time feeding under one bush were, 4 Rusties, 3 Red-wings, a juvenile
White-crowned Sparrow, 3 White-throated Sparrows, 2 Song Sparrows, 2
Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 male House Finch, 1 male Eastern Towhee and 2 male
Cardinals.
We've had Purple Finches every day for the last couple of weeks, but none
today.
Within the last 3 days Cooper's, Sharp-shinned and Red-shouldered Hawks have
come into the yard to stay for awhile.
I was surprised to see a Red-shouldered sit in a tree in full view of 3 Gray
Squirrels about 30 yards away, as they fed under the feeders. Earlier in the
day I had seen the hawk near the edge of the woods eating a small rodent,
possibly a chipmunk.This time the hawk sat in this tree for nearly an hour.
The squirrels ignored it, and it ignored the squirrels. When the squirrels
would scamper across the yard I could see the hawk turn or bend its head to
watch, but it never attempted to catch one. I might have expected that
behavior from a Sharp-shinned or possibly even a Cooper's, but not from a
Red-shouldered.
In fact, a few weeks ago I saw a Gray Squirrel climb a tree to within six or
seven feet of a Cooper's Hawk. The hawk peered down at it, but made no
attempt for it.
During this more recent encounter, when the Red-shouldered flew from the
tree around 30 or 40 feet in the air, it flew almost directly over the area
where the squirrels were feeding, but the squirrels did not run, and did not
quit feeding.
Does anyone else find that behavior a bit odd for a buteo?
A pair of young Red-shouldereds was raised in the nearby woods this summer,
and that is where the squirrels live. Might this have been a young hawk that
didn't yet have the confidence to attempt Gray Squirrels, and the squirrels
somehow understood that?
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
Buchanan County
