It's hard to see in this picture, but there is a hawk in the middle of the big oak. A hawk that tried to take off with one of my barred rock hens. Fortunately, she put up a struggle so the hawk couldn't get her off the ground. She doesn't appear to be injured.
The chickens are all huddled up in a barn stall, but this hawk is determined. He swooped in from the other direction taking aim at the open end of the barn. I yelled at it and it aborted its mission, taking an upward trajectory at the last possible moment to clear the barn roof.
I stayed outside a bit longer until the crows picked up on the hawk's existence and began harassing it away. I especially worry for Cole's little silkies. They are so small and in their downy white fluffiness they practically beg predators to carry them off.
Oh no, hawks! I do not like them. But they are so beautiful to see in action, like on the side of the road, away from my chickens. I am so glad your BR hen put up a fight and won! Good for her. That's one reason I won't have white chickens. They are like a target from way up high.
ReplyDeleteI hope your blueberry bushes will be ok. Darn wildlife!