Jeannie in NJ Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 so I posted on Sat that a hawk flew thru our screen window and was flying around our sunroom. I got our cats out of the sunroom , then shut up the sunroom and dh got the hawk back outside. Well, it is crazy but yesterday ds and I were doing school and we heard a big bang at our bay window. A hawk (I assume it was the same hawk) had flown and banged into our bay window. We have screens on either side of the bay window but after Sat. I am keeping all windows closed. At least one of our cats was lying on the window seat at the time hawk flew into the window. What is this crazy hawk doing? Of course I am keeping all my cats indoors now (normally 3 of them spend most of the day outside but no more since Sat) but I have to keep my windows closed also. How desperate is this hawk to get my cats from indoors? And of course these stupid hawks are protected species. We had the eagle swooping our back yard last spring and dh has seen foxes around late at night. Way too much wildlife for my cats to go outside. Now if this hawk will just give up trying to get INSIDE my house. It is fairly nice today and I can not have the windows open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Perhaps you should put a nice raw chicken out for him well away from the house! He sounds like he desperately wants some of that nice protein sunning in the window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 That's crazy! What a determined hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Is it possible he's flying into the windows accidentally? My dad had to put stuff on one window to keep birds from killing themselves... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 I think Hawk saw the cats and decided your place is a fast food restaurant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 zoobie, we have never had birds flying into our windows before and we have been here 20 years. Plus my cats are usually sitting on the window sills and the bay window seat so they would be seen thru the windows which would scare off any small birds. I would consider putting up decals in the windows except one of my cats eats plastic and would tear down the decals to eat them. I might have to think of something else to put in the windows if the hawk is "accidently" flying into the windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 A few months ago we had a small bird that kept attacking our windows... and would fly around the house attacking different windows. From what I read online, this particular species is very territorial and I believe he was attacking his reflection on the windows. Here's an article about it. I don't know about hawks, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 We had a crazy bird that dived boomed our bedroom window every morning. Our living dog ran away as soon as the bird started but after the first whack we would put a life sized ceramic springer spaniel in the window. As soon as the dog got in position the bird gave up -- every time. It could be there before, to easy. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 If the odd behavior continues I would wonder if there is enough food available for the hawk. I would consider contacting a rescue/wildlife group to find a better home for the hawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 the local wildlife group has put up osprey nests in the marshes behind our house so we now have ospreys along with hawks, eagles, . Actually now that I think about it, we no longer have the large feral cat population that always lived in the meadows behind our house and there are less songbirds and rabbits. Our town has started having lots of sightings of foxes and even a couple of sightings of coyotes. I live on an island so the sightings of coyotes is strange. The whole wildlife system has changed since Hurricane Sandy (less prey animals and more predators on the island). Just over the bridge off the island, there have been lots of coyote sightings, even packs of 5 or so in neighborhoods. One guy used to feed a feral cat group of about 14 cats. He said everyone of them has disappeared. There have been missing small dogs and cats. I guess my herd of cats are going to now be inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 We had a pack of coyotes a few years ago. I started to keep my cat indoors until one afternoon she managed to get out. She never came back. . . I still miss Agatha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 This gives you an opportunity to study the classic predator/prey cycle! I too am coastal. Our fox population was decimated by the storm surge of a hurricane a while ago. It has now grown uncomfortably large on the heels of a rise in the rabbit population that I am confident helped fueled the return of the fox. We have a neighborhood Great Horned Owl and a Cooper's Hawk, both of which we have welcomed with open arms. Let them eat squirrels! But why the window...I will stroll past the rehabber's house tomorrow and ask her about this. I suspect that your cats are luring it. At least osprey won't go after your cats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Can you try a plastic decal on the outside of the window? Whether accidental or not, it would be good to stop this behavior from the hawk. Plastic won't last long on the outside, but they are relatively inexpensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Jeannie, Sorry! I forgot to get back to you this morning. The rehabber (who was examining an osprey while discussing your issue) thinks that it is weird. One incident--an accident. Sometimes the reflection confuses a bird. But twice? It must be the cats... Good luck to you. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 thanks Jane for inquiring for me. The window he came thru in the sunroom is on the side, next to the detached garage, it was not even the back screened door facing the marshes and the front bay window faces the front street and is blocked by a cherry tree and a holly tree so he had to fly between the 2 trees (which are very close to the window) in order to bang into that window. My cats actually keep looking at the sky and are rarely meowing to go outside which usually they are constantly wanting to go out. We are not letting them out at all. and zoobie and creekland that suggested decals, I have a 6 ft tall standing Chinese screen that I might put in front of the inside of the bay window, maybe that will prevent the hawk from smashing into the bay window again as it should prevent him from seeing the cats and the rest of my windows are double storm windows which we are keeping closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Wow. That sounds like a determined hawk. My SIL had problems with birds flying into her large plate glass window a lot. Decals didn't prevent it, so she hung up some large flashy windchimes and that stopped them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 You don't happen to have any bird feeders outside do you? I'm just wondering if it saw other birds eating there and though, that's where the locals eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 no we don't have bird feeders and neither do our neighbors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 When I watch our local hawks hunt (we have several around), they often sit in a tree to spot their prey - then fly to get it. With trees as close as you are saying and cats in the window, my guess is this may be what your hawk is doing. Fortunately, hawks around here haven't decided cats are food. I hope they'll never add them to their diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 We get birds running into our windows also. I just googled this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Those kitty cats must looked pretty darned tasty for the hawk to keep trying! The Chinese screen seems like a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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