saw something awesome this morning

Morrow

Morrow

Don't make this weird
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
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I was driving to work this morning and noticed a large number (well over a 100) of what initially looked turkey hens strolling about in freshly cut field. As I got closer I realized they were turkey vultures. I've never seen so many in one place before. I pulled over to watch for few minutes and something caught my eye above me at an 11:00 position. Falling from the sky was a turkey vulture with feathers coming off as it fell. It slammed into the ground about 30 feet from me and about 3 feet away from a large hay bale. Not more than 5 seconds after the vulture hit the ground, a huge hawk landed on the hay bale. I missed a hawk strike.......DAMNIT! I slowly moved around my vehicle to grab my camera but I must have spooked the hawk because it took off.

I wish I would have seen the strike but it was still a nice way to start the day.
 
Did you take any pictures? I'd like to see any of that!

I've never seen more than 6-7 turkey vultures in one place, so the scene you came upon certainly must have been awesome! and hawk taking a vulture? Hmmm.... The largest hawks we have around here are redtails, and they are nowhere near as large as the turkey vulture. I didn't think hawks took prey larger than they were. Interesting.
 
I missed the opportunity to get a picture of the hawk...but I'm going to stop by the same spot tomorrow and see if can get pictures of the turkey vultures. I'm not entirely sure why the hawk attacked the turkey vulture. All I do know is that hawk make quick work of it......I still can't believe I was right there and missed the actual strike.

Oh and the hawk was much bigger than than turkey vultures.
 
When I was working in Zion NP I'd go out with a friend who studied the Peregrines and Mexican Spotted Owls. We would go out with a spotting scope and watch Peregrine nesting sites. Not a bad job for him, go out into the backcountry and get paid to look at raptors. I never saw one take anything out, but it would be awesome to see.
 
Get into Falconry. You will see PLENTY of Hawk/Falcon strikes!!!

For what it's worth: nothing beats seeing a falcon (Prairie, Peregrine, or Gyr) smacking a duck at 200+ mph :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
I think this the type of hawk i saw...a sharp-shinned hawk.....i'm not positive as they can be hard to positively identify as I'm no expert.

hawk_ss12262002.jpg
 
morrowj_98 said:
I think this the type of hawk i saw...a sharp-shinned hawk.....i'm not positive as they can be hard to positively identify as I'm no expert.
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I have these come through my backyard on occasion and thin my local bird population. They are no where near as big as a vulture. I would think they would have a hard time bringing one of those down. They are hell on the local robins though.:D
 
I've seen hawks take doves and pigeons. All you'll see is feathers drifting to the ground, till it starts eating. Fascinating, really.
 
You people keep talking about how cool it is to see a bird strike and it just makes me more mad that I missed one literally.....right above my head.
 
morrowj_98 said:
I was driving to work this morning and noticed a large number (well over a 100) of what initially looked like office workers strolling about in freshly cut field. As I got closer I realized they were a film crew. I've never seen so many in one place before. I pulled over to watch for few minutes and something caught my eye above me at an 11:00 position. Falling from the sky was Bear Grylls with feathers coming off a parachute fashioned from old Kroger bags and some kite twine. He held a turkey vulture in his hands. He crashed into the ground about 30 feet from me and about 3 feet away from a large hay bale. Not more than 5 seconds after he hit the ground, a huge hawk landed on the hay bale and stared at Bear's vulture. Bear immediately jumped up, grabbed the hawk by the legs, and bit its head off. I missed his precise grabbing technique.......DAMNIT! I slowly moved around my vehicle to grab my camera but I must have spooked him because he took off running into the woods, blood dribbling down his chin. The 100 or so members of his film crew trailed behind him.

I wish I would have seen his grip but it was still a nice way to start the day.
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This guy is everywhere! :p

Seriously, the turkey vultures and the hawk had to be a cool sight. :thumbup:
 
Guyon said:
This guy is everywhere! :p

Seriously, the turkey vultures and the hawk had to be a cool sight. :thumbup:
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it was cool......i'll try and get some pics.

and i know...i'm everywhere.....buying...trading...posting...i can't help it.....this is a great place. :thumbup:
 
Very cool! How exactly does a hawk strike work (mechanics wise)? Does it slam into the prey shockingit or breaking something, or do the talons stab it?
 
I'd think a sharp shinned hawk would be a little outgunned with a turkey vulture, at least size-wise. Still, not saying it wasn't a sharp-shinned ...
 
Guyon said:
I'd think a sharp shinned hawk would be a little outgunned with a turkey vulture, at least size-wise. Still, not saying it wasn't a sharp-shinned ...
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I could very possibly be mis-identifying the hawk I saw. Based on the size...it is likely not a sharp-shinned hawk....the colors sure did look like one. The biggest hawk we have around here is a Goshawk. The size certainly fits for this but the colors didn't look like any Goshawk I've ever seen.....maybe it was juvenile (they all look similar when young)....but again...this was a big bird....at least 4-6 inches taller than the turkey vultures.
 
morrowj_98 said:
...this was a big bird....at least 4-6 inches taller than the turkey vultures.
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Doesn't sound like any sharp-shinned hawk I've ever seen. Maybe a hawk expert will show up for a possible ID.
 
Just out of curiosity. . . I know (or at least I was told by a falconer at a ren fair) that hawks and falcons are differentiated by the type of prey they generally go after. . . Hawks mostly take their prey on the ground, rodents and the like, and they have longer legs which makes it easier for them to move around in tall grass on the ground; Falcons mostly hunt other birds and take them on the wing, and generally have longer wingspans for their size. So what differentiates eagles from hawks and falcons? Is it just size, or something else? Could the bird you saw have been an eagle morrowj?

The demonstration that the guy did at the ren fair was amazing. . . It was fantastic getting to see those birds up close, swooping right over everyone's heads and attacking the training target.
 
A peregrine's ' stoop' can be 200 mph !!! they either grab with their talons or make a fist to strike the prey.Biggest hawk is the rough legged hawk which most would confuse with a immature bald eagle and I saw one with some eagles !They , like the snowy owl, are rare visiters in NY, coming south when the lemming population drops.And don't forget our smallest falcon the kestrel who is just robin sized. Coming this fall is the migration and one of the best places is Hawk Mtn PA. They count them and one time I was there they counted 2000 of just one kind of hawk in one day !!!
 
If you ever want to see a large collection of turkey vultures, flock of 50 or more, try coming to the Miami Dade Courthouse at the start of spring....they hang out on top of the courthouse.
 
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