Hawk on the wing. I bet this hasn't happened to you ;-)

[oosik]

I have a family of Osprey that always nest in a large pine - right adjacent to my lake. They are an amazing bird and really fun to watch.

They will spot a bass - swimming close to the surface in my lake. From really way high up they will start their dive. By the time they hit the water - look just like a speeding bullet. Somewhere I read that their success ratio was around 35%. That seems about right.

It's really amazing to see the Osprey rise to the surface - bass in his grasp - shake all the water off his wings - struggle to regain flight. Some times the bass is just too big and they have to drop it or they miss it altogether.

However - something about this place brings them back every year. Nothing ever bothers them and plenty of fish.

 

[Eagle1]

I have an Osprey that shows up a month or so at a time couple times year. I enjoy watching him fish while sitting on the porch at sunrise.
Even more fun when the resident bald eagle tries to chase him away.

 

[CalG]

Wife and I each got strafed a couple of times today while out in the yard and gardens. No contact, though one run did ruffle her shirt. We have taken to wearing brim hats these days. Chicks seem to be eating well. I keep the spotting scope set up most of the day.

 

[jaxs]

Wife and I each got strafed a couple of times today while out in the yard and gardens. No contact, though one run did ruffle her shirt. We have taken to wearing brim hats these days. Chicks seem to be eating well. I keep the spotting scope set up most of the day.

I wouldn't feel comfortable with less than a complete hockey goalie outfit.

 

[ponytug]

Many years ago we were horseback riding near Black Butte, OR when we came across an injured Golden Eagle.

So, I was given the job to catch it. I must say I was a little nervous. But, I was given a pair of gloves for my hands, and a Pendleton shirt to cover it with. I managed to corner it and throw the shirt over it, expecting a bit of a fight.

It was the most odd thing. The bird didn't struggle a bit. It completely fell asleep for the horseback ride back to the pickup, to the point we had to poke it to make sure it was still alive.

We took it to a vet in Sister's Oregon, which then transferred it to the Oregon Raptor Center in Eugene, OR.

Wow! And Double WOW! Gold star for taking on a golden eagle for a recovery. That is one big bird, with pretty fearsome weapons.

A few years back were riding a narrow trail, and spooked a pair of Golden Eagles. I had no idea that they were as big as they are. I was so amazed that the horses didn't dump us as one of the Goldens can within an arm's reach on takeoff.

My closest strafing incidents were dealing with food thieving kites as a kid. I had one dive between me and a friend at lunch; my sandwich had a pair of talon marks in the bread from my reflexive yank away, but the talons got the cheese. No blood thankfully, but I wasn't the target.

All the best,

Peter

 

[pmsmechanic]

We brought a mother cat and kittens to our place from the neighbors. I wanted help controlling the mice. The resident owls did not appreciate my efforts. One owl flew at waist height between my wife and I to strafe the cat. We were standing about 6 feet apart and the wings just missed us. Both of us felt the air off of it's wings. We gave the cats to a different neighbor.

 

[beckmurph]

We have had nesting hawks in a big oak tree in a field close to our house.

We also have owls, I think.

Two years the hawks had chicks.

Two years the owls raided the hawks nest.

Hawk feathers all over the back yard.