Article by Paul Simdars
Intro Written by Judi Hamlet

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JUDI WROTE: > The other day on my way to work, I noticed off to the side of the road some sparrows feeding some young birds on the ground.  I slowed down to look and some of them were in front of my truck anyway.  I won't hit a bird or any living thing if I can help it. Anyway, I was admiring the birds and so quickly, that I could barely register it, a hawk dropped down like a rock grabbed a baby and took off nearly straight up.  The birds on the ground were not aware until the hawk was well on his/her way out of their midst. It was amazing and terrifying.  So quick, deadly and efficient.  What if that had been me with Kona on his teather standing and talking with a neighbor?

There are hawks around here too.  The first time I really became AWARE of them was last Fall.  I go get firewood and then come unload it by the house.   Pinky (my sun conure dad) likes to come out and sit in the tree or on the truck or on the actual wood pile when I am unloading it.  Then I put him in a tree and drive the truck from the back yard to the front.  It takes about 1 minute.  I was backing up from my back yard into the alley and I saw a huge hawk swoop down into my yard at the level of my house rain gutters.  I got the truck around the front and then went to the side of my house to look in the tree.  No bird.

So I started whistling for him and walked up and down the block.  I saw the hawk on a telephone pole down the block.  He had no golden feathers in his hand so I knew my birds was OK.  I chased him away and whistled.  My little bird was in a tree next to a house one house down from that telephone pole.   He was just sitting there in the tree.  He would not walk down to me.  I went in and got a banana and ate it in front of him.  This usually brings him over for a bite.  Then I tried a big tall glass of lemonade, with ice!   He would not fly to me but climbed down the branch.  He got on my shoulder but would not walk out from under that tree.  I tried several times but he wouldn't go.  I can't tell you how unusual this behavior was for him.  Once on me, he likes to stay there.  I had to take him and hold him under my shirt so I could walk across the street and 2 houses down back to my house to let him inside. He did not want to come out for 2 days.   Next time he saw a hawk he flew crazy, just flying all over the place.  From then on, I paid attention. 

My conures have a certain sound they make for the hawk alarm.  They all start sort of humming or cooing or something.  You look at them and they are looking up to a particular spot in the sky.  Then, I walk in with him.   I did that any time he made that sound and it was a hawk.   Now, they all fly to a tree and sit. They no longer panic.   It is just one of those things you and the birds need to work out a solution for.   But, with some alertness and patience, the solution does present itself.

Paul Simdars