Whatbird.com

I am new to feeding my backyard birds, though I have provided a watering hole for a few years. I live in a desert area near some wilderness, so I get some regulars (CA quail, mourning doves, house finches, sparrows), but I also get some very interesting occasional visitors, which is what I was hoping to see during migration.

I knew it was pretty much unavoidable - but hoped it wouldn't happen - all the predators species have now learned my location too. It started with snakes, roadrunners, predating on other creatures. Now I am having daily visits from a Cooper's Hawk. Sometimes for water, but mostly for hunting. Sometimes I get an American Kestrel and a red-tailed hawk, but not regularly.

While the hawk is beautiful and awesome and I feel honored he likes to come by, I feel terribly guilty to expose my regular birds to his raids. I have actually gone so far as to intervene on a few occasions, just by walking out to scare the hawk to go elsewhere. He is persistent, though.

I know that hawks and other predators must eat, of course.  I just feel bad that my little prey birds who rely on the food and water are so exposed now.

We live two blocks from a city park too, where the birding is great, and seems like it would be a buffet for this hawk. I know he spents a lot of time over there too (unless we have two hawks!)

Am I just wrong to feel guilty and responsible? Should I just be happy that there is a little ecosystem in my yard now, completed by the presence of predators? Should I just let nature take it's course?

Many thanks for your advice.

 

No matter what you do, the predation will continue. This is nature at its finest and in my opinion you should let it happen. If you try to remove the hawks, another one will come in and take its place. The food source is there for them. They are not picking on your backyard any more than your neighbors. Where ever the food is, the hawks will be there.

---

Southwestern New Mexico

I appreciate your comments. True on all points. That's pretty much what I figured other bird feeders would say.

I figure he keeps coming to my yard because he has had a successful kill and so views the yard as good hunting grounds. Thankfully I didn't have to witness it. I do feel honored to have hawk visitors, they are truly breathtaking - not to mention very photogenic.

Moreover, there are many many quail, sparrows and finches than hawks here, so it is natural to have a predator about and I do want them to be successful.

This perspective is very interesting.  I am actually enjoying the raptors, had two juve Cooper's yesterday. 

---

Latest Birds: Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, Rufous-backed Robin, Crissal Thrasher

I live in an apt in middle of a city (So CA) but I have an adult and juvenile cooper's who come almost every day (not at same time, though) to go after my feeder birds on my balcony.  Don't know if they have had any success; as soon as the birds see them coming they take off like a rocket.  I keep trying to get photos of the adult but not successful.  I only know it's an adult cooper's because of the sound it makes.

---

Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

Oh, by all means, I also enjoyed my raptor visitors when it seemed they were just interested in a drink of water or a quick dip in my watering hole. I certainly do not consider them pests or anything!  As with many desert creatures, I consider it a gift to be able to see them at all!

I have had surprising and breathtaking visits from Red-Tails, Am. Kestrels, and the Cooper's - sometimes a pair! Never seem to have the camera handy at these moments - or I grab the binocs first. They often come first thing in the morning, before dawn even, and also before the rest of the birds were up and active it seemed...quite a sight.

Now that I think about it, all my peaceful sightings of my raptors (except the hunting moments in the past few days) were in early September, just before I put my suet feeder out and before offering my quail et. al. seed distributed on the ground....so my yard was already on the hawk's radar because of the watering hole!  And I'm sure they could associate water with their prey.  So really, my providing food just made my yard even more of a good hunting ground. The hawks were already attracted to my yard. 

Really, I welcome all the birds that want to appear in my yard...but I guess I just don't want to be present when one of my quail get's caught!

thanks for all your comments and views!